Like a vampire
by nanstanine
Summary: OC Dylan is part vampire who Eric wants to control.  Not a romance with Eric.  Includes many OCs and other characters from the show.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Eric always checked into the personal lives of his employees. Cole had been his assassin. He had been a ruthless vampire with a certain predilection for cruelty. He had enjoyed his work. It was surprising to Eric that he had met his end, but he did have a few faults and one of them was over-confidence. So, before closing the book on Cole, he once again checked into his personal matters to make sure that there weren't any loose ends left to tie up. He found out that Cole had acquired a new human pet in the weeks before his death. She was such a recent acquisition that Cole had not left any provisions for her. Sometimes, a pet will be bestowed upon another in the event of a true death or left some sort of monetary allotment. This pet had not come to see him or asked for any dispensation from him. This pet had not asked for anything from Cole's estate. On the contrary, this pet seemed to want to stay undetected and anonymous. While this was not exactly unusual, it was curious and he asked those that knew Cole what they knew about this pet. It seemed that Cole had talked about her. He had bragged how incredibly delicious she was. Cole had admitted to nearly draining her to the point of death on several occasions and then reviving her with his blood. Understandably, the girl was not overly fond of him. She had probably feared that someday Cole would either kill her or turn her. A few of those that Cole had talked to had decided to seek out his pet after his death. After all, she would be fair game. But, they had found that she had moved and left with no forwarding address. The girl had gone into hiding.

Eric sat at his desk and thought about her. He had heard of other instances where a vampire had fed on a human like Cole had done to this girl. Sometimes, something very unusual and rare happens. In essence, Cole had been creating a vampire without killing her. It was an extremely rare occurrence, and the resulting human became a half-vampire. A human with vampire abilities. These creatures were very rare. They were also very valuable and useful. He needed to find this pet and make sure that she had not become something more than human. He sent out notice to have her brought in and got his investigators to look for her.

He was out of Fangtasia, when one of his lieutenants found her and brought her in. He chained her in the basement and called Eric. Since Eric was keenly interested in the girl, he returned immediately to Fangtasia. He found his lieutenant waiting for him inside. The bar was almost deserted since the hour was late and the bar had closed.

"Is there anything unusual about her?" asked Eric.

"Like what?" asked his lieutenant.

"Something not human," said Eric.

"She looks human to me," said the lieutenant.

Eric walked down into the basement with the lieutenant and approached the girl. She had been sitting on the floor, but got to her feet when they arrived. She moved away from them as far as the chain would allow her. She was nervous, but was doing her best to maintain an air of calm. She was surprisingly pretty. She didn't appear to be the type that his ruthless assassin would have been attracted to. She looked like a pretty girl next door. She had soft brown hair that fell just past her shoulders and beautiful blue eyes. Those eyes radiated intelligence. As he gazed into them, he could feel that she was sizing him up. Smart and pretty, he thought. He might have underestimated Cole, after all, since his choice in women had surprised him. She was wearing plain jeans and a cotton top that exposed a beautiful glimpse of neckline. His lieutenant had also been gazing on her with appreciation.

When they stopped in front of her, a look of hatred flashed briefly from those carefully guarded eyes of hers. She quickly covered up that lapse and, once again, unemotionally gazed at them.

Eric grabbed the chain and began to pull her to him. The lieutenant watched with a smirk. The girl tried to resist, but Eric just continued until she was about a few feet away. He was sure that she knew who he was. He watched her. Those intense blue eyes slightly narrowed as she swiftly calculating her options. She fell to her knees before him and chose to beg.

"Please, let me go, Sheriff," she begged.

"Are you the human that belonged to Cole?" he asked her.

That look of hatred flashed again and she said, "I never belonged to him."

"I believe my assassin thought differently," said Eric.

"I could not tell you what thoughts that creature had," she said.

"He fed on you regularly, didn't he?" asked Eric. He added with a smirk, "And knowing Cole, I'm sure that he did much more than that. To a vampire that constitutes ownership."

"Not to me, it didn't," she said.

"How did you come to be with Cole?" asked Eric.

Once again, the girl chose to appeal to his sense of mercy. She was not aware that he didn't have any, he thought.

"I beg you, Sheriff Northman. Please, let me go. I do not want to have anything else to do with vampires," she said.

The girl did not want to talk with him and wanted only to be released. He was sure that she was hiding something. What she could not hide was a strength that even the cruel Cole had not been able to destroy. He knew his assassin and he was sure that this seemingly ordinary girl had suffered at his hands. He found himself attracted to more than her beauty. He decided that, even if she was no more than what she appeared, he would keep her as a pet. She was attempting to match wits with him by pretending to be a meek and helpless human girl. She was very convincing, he thought, as he looked into her pleading eyes. He knew differently, but he appreciated her effort to outsmart him.

"You will either answer my questions now, or I will leave you down here until you are more cooperative," said Eric.

He looked down at her and watched as she changed her expression as easily as flipping a switch. Those wide, pleading eyes quickly turned cold. She stood up and stepped farther away from him. She crossed her arms in front of her and stared at him with anger.

"One night when I was walking home alone, he caught me. I thought that he was going to kill me. For some reason he didn't. He feed me his blood to heal me. From then on, that monster could always find me," she said.

"How often did Douglas feed on you so severely that he needed to give you his blood to keep from harming you?" asked Eric.

The girl did not answer and Eric was sure that she did not like his curiosity about her. She did not want to answer any personal questions.

"I asked you a question," he said. "Was it more than three times?"

"Why is that important to you?" she asked.

"You did not learn obedience from Cole," said Eric. "You will obey me. Now, answer the question."

"Yes, he did that more than three times," she said.

"And you did not come to feel something for Cole?" asked Eric.

"Oh, I felt something for him," said the girl. "Hatred."

Eric considered her. A strong bond should have formed from drinking Cole's blood that often. Perhaps, Cole's cruelty to the girl had prevented her from developing feelings for him. Cole had been a fool to treat her that way, he thought. He believed in making it clear who was in charge, but he rarely strayed into outright maliciousness.

"But, you obeyed him?" asked Eric. He was curious because if she was like a vampire's child she would be unable to resist her maker's commands.

"He had some power to make me comply with a direct order," she said.

Eric smiled at that. He could read between the lines. She had disobeyed Cole when he had not exactly spelled out his instructions. She was a tricky little thing. He wished that he had met her before his assassin. It would take a while to undo the damage that Cole had done to her.

"And you have not noticed any changes in yourself?" asked Eric.

"Changes?" she said. "I don't understand what you mean."

Either she was lying very well or she did not know what he was talking about.

He stepped to her and reached out and turned her head and gazed at her. She appeared to be only human. She twisted out of his grasp and stared at him angrily.

"Leave us," said Eric to the lieutenant.

The girl watched his lieutenant leave with apprehension. She must now realize that he was not going to let her go, at least, not right away. She backed away from him as far as the chain would allow.

He watched her and said, "Cole bragged about how absolutely delicious you were. He said that was why he would loose control and drain you so severely."

"Cole was a braggart," said the girl. "He was only trying to make me sound irresistible to make other vampires jealous."

"It worked," said Eric. "Vampires have been looking for you and I have finally caught you. I want to find out if Cole was telling the truth."

"Please, let me go. I'm no different than anyone else. I promise that I won't talk," she said.

Eric brought out his fangs and said, "There is only one way to find out if Cole was lying about you, pet."

She closed her eyes and trembled. As he watched her, a tiny tear escaped from one of her eyes. For some reason, he hesitated.

When she did not immediately feel his fangs at her throat, she opened her eyes and looked into his. He reached out and brushed away that tear. He felt her flinch slightly from his touch, but she didn't move away.

"Please, don't," she whispered.

For a brief moment, he considered not biting her at this time. But, just as quickly, he felt his desire for her overcome those feelings. He wanted to taste her more than he wanted to show her mercy.

Eric bared his fangs at her. Before she had time to react, he grabbed her, pushed the collar down and plunged his fangs into her throat. She cried out and tried to push him away. At the back on his thoughts, he noticed that she seemed stronger than normal. But, as he drew her blood into his mouth and tasted her, he was oblivious to anything else except how delicious her blood was. No wonder Cole had kept coming back to her, he thought. He pushed her against the wall and sucked harder on her neck. Slowly, she began to relax and he loosened his grip on her and began to caress her. He pressed her into the wall and uttered a soft growl as he continued to feed on her. His hands began a more focused exploration of her body. Reluctantly, he removed his lips from his punctures on her throat. He ran his tongue over them to both lap up her blood as it still slowly flowed and to speed the clotting.

He whispered into her ear, "I can see why my assassin was so enamored with you, pet."

That broke the spell and she pushed him an arm's length away. In a flash, she delivered a resounding backhanded blow that knocked him back a step.

"I'm not your whore, vampire," she said.

She was so upset and angry that she lost control of herself. A pair of fangs popped out with a snick. With a hiss, she launched herself at him. She was angry with him for biting her. But he wondered if part of the reason for her loss of control was because she had felt some lust for him.

As he stood contemplating her motives, she attacked him. She surprised him by dropping down and knocking his feet out from under him with her leg. Evidently, his assassin had been doing more than just biting her, he thought. Why had Cole been training her? As he was on the floor, she quickly looped the slack in her chain around his neck. Placing her foot in the middle of his back for leverage, she pulled the chain tight with all her strength and began to strangle him. He would have laughed if his throat wasn't so constricted. She must have forgotten that vampires don't need to breathe. Even though she was amusing, enough was enough, he thought. She was a baby half-vampire and he was a thousand years her senior. He easily knocked her off him and moved in a flash to grab her by the throat and hold her against the wall. She still hissed at him and bared her fangs. So, he choked her slightly to get her full attention.

"Those are very pretty fangs, but you will retract them now," he firmly said.

She struggled and tried to reach him with her hands and legs, but his reach was much longer than hers. He simply held her out and raised her feet off the ground. She began to gasp as he tightened his grip.

"I said to retract those fangs, Dylan," said Eric.

Maybe it was the use of her first name, but he finally reached her and she stopped fighting. She hung limply at the end of his arm and retracted her fangs. He released her and she dropped to the floor. She began to cough as she drew air into lungs.

"Do you understand what has happened to you?" asked Eric.

"Cole made me into some sort of monster," she replied.

"Monster is a little harsh, Dylan," said Eric. "After all, you are closer to vampires now than to humans."

"I am not a vampire," said Dylan.

Eric smiled and said, "You have fangs, don't you? That makes you not human."

Yet, she was still part human, he thought. Physically, except for the fangs, she appeared human. No doubt, she had convinced herself that she was still the same girl that she had been before she had met his assassin. She thought that she could just blend back into the human population. He almost felt sorry for her. There was no going back for her.

"You cannot be allowed back into the human population, Dylan," he said. "You are too dangerous to us. You need someone to show you how to adapt to these new abilities."

"I was doing just fine on my own," said Dylan.

"I wonder," said Eric with a smile. "What happens when someone cuts in line in front of you and you loose your temper? Or the boss decides to come onto you? You have become something superior to humans and deep down, you know this. You will come to have contempt for them and despise them, if you haven't already. Can you really control these new powers and urges?"

"I won't obey you," said Dylan. "You can't hold me prisoner here."

"I'm Sheriff," said Eric. "I can do anything that I want."

"You are all monsters," she sobbed. "I just want to go home."

She seemed to withdraw into herself and began to cry. It was a very human response and Eric wondered again what side of the fence the girl fell on. Was she more human or was she more vampire? Of course, he thought, if she was still on the human side, there was a way to nudge her over to the vampire side. He simply needed to continue the work that Cole had already started. He had thought that Cole had done this to her on accident. She was delicious enough to drain, he had found that out firsthand. But, when she had attacked him and used some fighting skill, he knew that what was done to her had been done on purpose. Cole had trained her and he must have had a reason for that. He wondered, what had been the ultimate goal of his assassin? Maybe, it was a lucky turn of events that Cole had met the true death.

"Stop crying," said Eric. "That's an order."

The girl sniffled and wiped at her eyes. Those eyes were still wet with tears as she gazed at him.

"You are now mine. I will train you and help you understand what you are," said Eric.

"Like Cole?" she said.

"You will come to find that I am not like my assassin," said Eric.

"You seem the same to me. You're just another vampire that wants to hurt me and control me," said Dylan.

"You are acting like you have a choice in this," said Eric.

"I will not willingly cooperate with you," said Dylan. "Whatever I have become, I am still not like you."

"I could just turn you all the way," said Eric. "Would you like that?"

Dylan smiled at him and said, "But, you won't do that because you don't want another vampire. I am much more valuable to you as what I am now."

He wondered if the girl had a real inkling of her true value. She was something so rare and unique that vampires would literally kill to possess her. A true daywalker was priceless.

"I will give you some time to contemplate your position," said Eric. "But, the only way that you are getting out of this dungeon is to be under my control."

He turned and left her there. As he reached the top of the stairs, he heard a muffled sob escape her.

He went to his chair and wondered how long the girl would hold out. Pam was waiting on him.

"Is she human or not?" asked Pam.

"Not," said Eric.

"Do you think Cole did that to her on purpose?" asked Pam.

"Yes," said Eric. "I'm not sure why, though."

"Maybe, just for the girl, herself," said Pam. "Wouldn't she be enough of a reason?"

"He picked a very interesting human to change," said Eric.

"How so?" asked Pam.

"She is strong and intelligent. She will not be easy to break," said Eric. "My assassin was unable to break her spirit and we both know what he was capable of."

"Then, don't break her," said Pam. "Use your charm and make her fall for you."

"The girl would be resistant to glamouring," said Eric, with a smile.

"Since when do you need to glamour a girl to make her open her heart or her legs to you," said Pam with an evil smirk.

"She is different," said Eric. "She hates all of us."

"You like her," said Pam, astonished.

Eric was silent. He didn't want to like her. She was tough and strong, yet she had a softness to her that made one want to be gentle with her. That complex mix of strength and vulnerability was hard to resist. It would be easy to fall under her spell and he was smart enough to realize that. He glanced at Pam. Perhaps, it would be better if he kept some distance from her.

"You are free to see if the girl is willing to belong to you," said Eric.

Pam looked surprised since she had not thought Eric would share something so special.

"I don't need time to think that over," said Pam, with a smile.

She turned to go to the basement and Eric interrupted her.

"Just be aware that I won't totally let you keep her all to yourself," said Eric. "Plus, she will work for us once she is trained and her loyalty is without question."

Pam went down into the basement carrying a blanket. She could see the girl sitting on the floor and crying. The noise from her sobs covered up Pam's approach until she was almost upon her. When Dylan realized that Pam was there, she scrambled away from her to the end of the chain.

"I brought you a blanket," said Pam as she held out the blanket.

Tentatively, the girl approached and took the blanket. Pam could see Eric's bite marks on her throat. That surprised her since she didn't think Eric would relinquish the girl once he had tasted her. Maybe the girl didn't taste very good, thought Pam. The girl had other impressive charms, wickedly thought Pam.

"There is another way out of this basement," said Pam.

The girl only stared at her. Pam wondered if she was as intelligent as Eric thought she was.

"You could belong to me," said Pam.

"You must be close to him," said Dylan.

"Yes, he is my maker," said Pam.

Dylan wondered why Sheriff Northman was offering her to his minion. Yet, he had absolute control of Pam so it was still the same as being in control of her himself. Maybe the two of them were going to pass her back and forth between them. Evil vampires, thought Dylan. But, still an opportunity to escape had presented itself to her. She would be a fool to not take advantage of it.

"I have never been with a woman before," she shyly said. "You know, that way."

Sensing an interest, Pam smiled and said, "You have no idea what I can do for you. Aren't you just a little curious?"

Dylan dropped her eyes and a blush rose to her cheeks.

Pam stepped close to her and said, "You're shy. You know what they say about the shy ones, don't you?"

Dylan looked up and found Pam right in front of her. She gazed into Pam's eyes and parted her lips.

"What do they say?" she softly whispered.

"That they are the boldest ones in the bedroom," said Pam.

Pam moved to her ear and whispered into it, "Insatiable."

Dylan closed her eyes and sighed, "Cole never pleased me."

That was actually sort of a lie, thought Dylan. That ruthless bastard had managed to please her, much to her shame.

Pam gently kissed her cheek and said, "Even a male vampire is still a man, they are too concerned with their own pleasure first. Let me show you how it can be."

Pam moved to Dylan's lips and kissed her. Slowly at first and, when she did not feel any resistance, she used her tongue. Dylan pulled away and, with a sigh, she extended her fangs.

"Eric didn't tell me that you had fangs," said Pam.

"Is that a turnoff?" said Dylan.

"Honey, that only makes you more attractive," said Pam.

Pam moved back to her lips and darted her tongue over Dylan's fangs causing a soft moan from Dylan. Pam moved to her neck and Dylan heard a snick as Pam's fangs came out.

Dylan put out her hand and stopped Pam, saying, "I'm not into bondage, though. Release me from this collar and I will show you how grateful I am."

Pam paused a moment and then said, "Eric will be mad if I release you."

"Maybe he let you come down here because he was sure that you would fail," said Dylan. "I have made my choice."

Dylan leaned in and kissed Pam on the lips.

"Release me," said Dylan. "I'm a very fast learner."

Pam took out the key and unlocked the lock. Dylan took off the collar and held it in her hand. Before Pam knew what she intended, Dylan hit her with the collar with all her new strength. The blow knocked Pam into the wall. Dylan moved in a flash and grabbed Pam and slammed her head into the wall as hard as she could. She heard a crunch and saw a blood splatter on the wall as Pam limply fell to the floor. Dylan didn't spend any time to triumph over this victory. She knew the only reason that she had incapacitated Pam was because she had totally caught her off guard. In a fair fight, she would probably have little chance against Eric'c progeny. Quickly, before Pam came around, Dylan raced up the stairs and slipped out the rear entrance.

Pam came around and Eric felt her distress. He came immediately down into the basement. He gazed at the unlocked collar in anger. Then, his eyes found Pam. There was blood on back of her head that had run down her neck. He saw the large splatter on the wall. That little half-vampire didn't pull any punches, he thought.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I will be," said Pam.

"Were you really stupid enough to let her out of her restraints?" asked Eric.

"She was very convincing," said Pam. "Little tease."

Eric smiled and said, "I should have warned you that she is a little sneaky."

"Are you mad at me?" asked Pam.

"I'm just surprised that you were taken by those pretty fangs of hers," said Eric.

Once again, Eric put out notice to have Dylan apprehended and returned to him. He didn't doubt that she would soon be caught. She would not be able to hide anymore in the human population.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Across town, Stefan stood by the fireplace and watched the flames. He had a party going on downstairs. Yet, he didn't seem to be in the mood to make his appearance and pretend to be his carefully crafted persona. There were few invited to that party that knew the real Stefan. For the real Stefan was not the pretty and frivolous vampire who wanted nothing more than to surround himself with pretty young human girls. The real Stefan was something much more complex and dangerous. He ran a crime organization that encompassed a tri-state area. But, right now, the real Stefan was feeling something that he didn't like to feel. Reluctantly, he had finally admitted to himself that he was lonely. Of course, he could go downstairs and find the company of several pretty girls to feed on and have sex with. But, that wasn't the kind of companionship he was craving. He wanted someone to share things with. Someone that he didn't have to pretend with. He wanted a partner and an equal. These longings had scared him. But, there was no denying what he felt. A frown crossed his pretty face as he continued to stare into the flames and tried to ignore these feelings.

His melancholy reflection was interrupted by one of his lieutenants. He had some news for him. Stefan, of course, had a spy among Eric's lieutenants. He paid him very well to keep him informed on what Eric was up to.

"It seems Eric is looking for a girl that used to be the pet of Cole," said his lieutenant.

"I thought he had already caught her," said Stefan, not looking up.

"Evidently, she got away," said his lieutenant.

Now, that was curious, thought Stefan. Not many escaped from Eric's dungeon, at least alive. But, it was a girl, maybe Eric released her from her bindings in order to play with her.

"I think that there is something unusual about this girl," said his lieutenant.

"How so?" asked Stefan.

"My source says that Cole fed on her to the point of killing her repeatedly and then would feed her his blood," said his lieutenant. "You do know what that might have done?"

"Of course, I do," said Stefan. "Find a tracker to hunt her."

"I already took the liberty to doing that, Sir," said his lieutenant.

Stefan gazed at him and smiled. But, he was not so pleased. He did not like his actions being second guessed, nor did he like being so predictable. If his lieutenant wasn't so loyal, he might be facing a permanent early retirement. But, Stefan had no qualms about his loyalty so he let it slide, this time.

Stefan turned back and faced the fire. He wondered if Eric's assassin had managed to create a half-vampire. Many of the benefits of a vampire without the limitations. In many ways a superior being. How useful she would be depended on what exactly her abilities were and how many limitations she had. And that depended on how often and close Cole brought her to the point of death and fed her his blood. The more times it was done and the closer to the point of death the person was taken, the closer to a true vampire the person became. But, a vampire without the limitations of daylight would be worth their weight in gold. A powerful force, if she could be controlled, he thought.

Dylan gave a sigh of relief. Soon it would be daylight and, at least, the sheriff's vampire hunters would have to stop looking for her. She just had to get her money out of the bank and then she could leave town. Damn these awful creatures, she thought. It wasn't enough that she had been changed into something else, now because of that she was being hounded by them. She wondered if she needed their help. But, being chained in the sheriff's basement had done nothing to make her want to form a bond with him. She was still a possession to him, just like she had been to Cole.

Dylan had been spending a lot of time indoors lately. She had been laying low and trying to avoid detection. So, she decided to see exactly how much she had changed. She waited for the sun to rise with a mixture of fear and hope. When the sun peaked over the horizon, Dylan stood out in the open and let the sun's rays fall down upon her. She held her breath as she waited to see what, if anything, the sun's effect on her would be. She looked at her arms for any signs of burning. Her skin felt warm as the light fell on her, but other than that she seemed to still be able to tolerate it. She breathed a sigh of relief. She would probably need to wear sunscreen from now on, since she would probably be more susceptible to sunburn. But, hey, she thought, weren't we already supposed to be doing that? Dylan lifted her eyes and stared into sun and now she felt pain. It hurt her eyes to look into the bright daylight. She would need to wear sunglasses from now on. She felt a pang of disappointment that another sign of Cole's cruelty had manifested. But, as least that accursed creature had not changed her so much that she had to live forever in the shadows. When she had begun to change, she had pleaded with Cole to stop. But, he did not. He was a evil vampire and, maybe, she was some kind of experiment to him. If anything, once she started to manifest changes, he did it more often. She was sure that eventually, he would tire of toying with her and drain her for good. And then, turn her and make her his slave, forever. He enjoyed the power that he had over too much to ever let her go. She could not seem to refuse a direct command. He forced his will upon her and delighted in watching her obey. This went beyond decency, for he commanded her to willingly engage in sex with him. He took great delight in giving her pleasure because he knew how much she hated him. He would only smirk at her when her body betrayed her. What a lucky break it had been for her that he had met the true death. The only tears she had cried at his passing had been tears of joy. Because she thought that he might have mentioned her to other vampires, Dylan moved without giving a forwarding address. She had cautiously waited and hoped that her involvement with vampires would be over. But, that Sheriff had decided to seek her out. Even if she had not been changed, that creature would have still kept her. The fact that he had addressed her as pet had not escaped her notice. Cole had told her about Sheriff Northman and she was well aware of how lucky she was to escaped from him. Her hand touched his bite marks at her neck. She had thought for a moment that he was not going to bite her in the dungeon. She had thought that her plea to him had registered somewhere within him. For the briefest of moments, she swore that she had seen a flicker of compassion in his eyes. Maybe she had wanted so desperately to see it that she had imagined it. But, if it had been there, it was quickly eclipsed by his blood lust. She would be a fool to believe that a vampire would treat her with any type of real feelings or compassion. Her experiences with Cole had taught her that. And now, Sheriff Northman's behavior had only shown her that they were all like. She would go home and quickly pack just the necessities and wait for her bank to open. And then, she would move as far out of Sheriff Northman's territory as she could.

She had been heading west and decided to stop for a break and some food. She saw a sign on the highway and pulled into Merlott's. It was nestled in the woods and she parked her car out of sight of anyone just doing a drive by in the parking lot.

Sam's eyes turned and he saw a pretty girl come into Merlott's. She took off her sunglasses as she stood in the doorway. She was not a local, since Sam did not recognize her. She must be just driving by and saw the sign and stopped for lunch. As she walked closer, he caught a smell coming from her. It confused him and he sniffed the air for a moment. What he was seeing did not jive with what he was smelling. Curious, he decided to attend to her himself.

He walked to her and said, "Are you here for lunch?"

"Yes," she said, turning her eyes to his.

Blue intelligent eyes gazed into his and she gave him a faint smile. He returned the smile and escorted her to a booth. He handed her a menu as she sat down. As she bent her head to look at the menu, Sam was able to see a fresh set of fang marks on her neck. Given the smell he detected from her, that was not a total surprise. She looked up at him and seemed to study him. Perhaps, she could sense the difference about him. He got the feeling that she did not understand what her senses might be telling her about him. That was also curious, he thought.

"Are you just passing through?" he asked pleasantly.

"Yes, I...I'm just going on a trip," she said.

She appeared nervous and Sam wondered if she was in trouble and running away from someone.

"What can I get you?" he asked. "The jalapeno burger is the special today."

"Maybe just a regular burger," she said with a smile.

"You got it," said Sam and he turned away with her order.

When her order came, Sam watched her eat with interest. Well, everything about her was not making sense, he thought. For he could detect the scent of vampire on her. Yet, he also could smell the scent of human. Maybe he just smelled vampire because she had obviously been in close proximity to a vampire. She bore the marks of a vampire who had fed on her. She couldn't be a vampire since she was out in the daytime and eating.

"You know her?" asked Sookie.

Sam had not seen Sookie come up and he took his eyes off the girl.

"No," said Sam, embarrassed.

"You look like you want to know her," said Sookie.

Perhaps, she was teasing him. But, Sookie presented an opportunity to check something else out about the girl.

"Sookie, can you listen in on her thoughts?" asked Sam.

"No, why would I do that?" asked Sookie.

"Because, I just have a feeling that she is in trouble," said Sam.

Reluctantly, Sookie turned her eyes to the girl and listened. But, she only heard silence. Now, that was odd, thought Sookie. Then, as she continued, she heard a word. She started to hear more words, but they were only random words and she could not hear the entire stream of thought that they came from. So, it did not make any sense.

"I can't hear all her thoughts, just a word here and there," said Sookie. "All I heard was dungeon, daylight and a name, Cole."

No matter, how you can use the word dungeon, Sam could not think that it implied anything good. He felt his suspicions about the girl were confirmed. Sam took her bill to her and she opened her wallet.

"Oh, it's on the house," said Sam.

"That's kind of you, but aren't you running a business here. Won't the boss be angry?" she said.

"I am the boss," said Sam with a small smile.

The girl grew nervous again.

"Look, I know that it's none of my business, but are you in some kind of trouble?" asked Sam. "I might be able to help you."

"No, I'm not in any trouble," said the girl.

She looked into his eyes and said, "And just hypothetically, if I was in trouble, you don't want to have anything to do with me. You would be in danger."

She got up and said, "Thank you for your kindness. You could forget that you ever saw me if anyone comes here and asks about me."

Sam nodded and said, "You were never here."

She gave him a final smile and said, "Goodbye, then, Mr. Merlott."

Sam watched her as she paused at the doorway and put on her sunglasses. She then walked out into the bright sunlight. He wondered again what she was, he had never smelled anything like her before. Was she running away from a vampire? He gave a silent wish for her safety and then turned back to the bar.

Dylan stopped for the evening at a small town along the highway. The hunters would be out at night anyway, best to stay out of sight, she thought. She pulled into a roadside motel and went into the office. The manager was a small, balding man of about sixty, she thought. He stared at her for a moment too long, and then seemed to realize that. He gave her a pleasant and very fake smile. Dylan realized with unhappiness that he had been staring at the marks on her neck.

"Do you need a room, Miss?" he asked.

"Yes, perhaps one off the road," said Dylan. "The noise keeps me awake."

"Of course," said the manager. "Credit card?"

"No, I'm paying with cash," she said.

"Works for me," said the manager with another smile.

He handed her all the paperwork which Dylan filled out with false information. He passed her the key.

"Um, is there anywhere close by to get something to eat?" she asked.

"Sure, there is a little bar just across the road," said the manager. "It's a bar, but they have a cook and some decent food."

She gave a smile and left the office. The manager watched her go. Then, he picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Why are you calling this number?" said the voice.

"I want to speak with William," said the manager.

"Is that so?" said the voice.

The manager grew angry, but he wasn't foolish enough to show this anger to the person he was speaking to. He found himself embarrassed to be afraid of someone who was so young. But, William's little brother was someone that you did not underestimate. He looked just like a spoiled pretty boy. But, he had heard things and sat in on enough meetings to know that William's brother was arrogant with good cause. He was keenly intelligent and William rarely made a decision without his brother's opinion. No, the manager thought between clenched teeth, he would be wise to remember the power that William's brother wielded.

"I need to speak with Will," said the manager.

"Well, even if Will was here, he would be too busy to talk to you. Are you trying to go behind my back?" said the voice.

"No, of course not," said the manager. That little bastard always knew everything that was going on and he intended to keep it that way.

"Then, get to the point. I haven't got all night," said the voice.

"I have an interesting piece of information, Kyle," said the manager. "A young lady just checked into the motel. She has vampire fang marks and the scent of vampire on her."

"Are you saying that she's a vampire?" asked Kyle.

"I'm not exactly sure what she is," said the manager.

Kyle was silent on the line.

Sensing his interest, the manager said, "I sent her to the Whispering Pines for dinner."

There was a pause and then Kyle said, "I will personally check her out. If you are right about her, I may have underestimated you."

Kyle hung up without saying anything else. But, that was as close to he ever would come to a compliment, as least from him. He felt a moment's pang of remorse about setting Kyle on the girl. Kyle could be ruthless. The girl had not seemed like a bad sort. But, the smell coming off her had been unmistakable. Poor kid, he thought, of all the places to stop for the night, she had picked a werewolf enclave.

Dylan opened the door to the Whispering Pines and stepped inside. The bouncer gave her the once-over and then a twice-over. He made a few audible sniffs which Dylan thought was odd and rude. Was he implying that she smelled? He raised an eyebrow as he continued to study her.

"Are you sure you want to come in here?" he asked.

"Is there a reason why I wouldn't?" asked Dylan, a little nervously.

The bouncer smiled, showing his teeth, and said, "You aren't our regular type, but we are a friendly bunch. Come in."

He motioned her inside and Dylan walked past him. She was still wearing her casual jeans, but had changed into a thin turtle neck to hide the bite marks on her throat. She looked over the place as she walked to the bar counter. It seemed like a local type bar. The music was rock, but the atmosphere was country. She noticed that she drew a few stares, but attributed that to her not being a local. She took a stool at the bar counter. The bartender frowned and looked her over for a long moment and, then, slowly walked to her. She thought, what was with this place? Did they just not like tourists?

"We don't have Tru Blood here," he said when he finally reached her.

"Now, why would I want that?" she replied. "A coke will be fine."

The bartender stared a moment longer and then prepared her coke. Dylan frowned and looked down. Did she really look like a vampire, now? Once again, she cursed Cole. Maybe, she should just leave.

The bartender put the coke in front of her. It had a cherry on top and when Dylan looked up at him, he gave her a little smile.

"On the house, for my rudeness," he said. "Is there anything else you want?"

"The motel manager said that you also had food here?" asked Dylan.

"Yes, the club sandwich is very good," he said.

"Then, I would like that," Dylan replied.

"One sandwich coming up for the pretty lady," he said and moved off to give her order to the cook.

As Dylan fished out the cherry from her coke, the bartender looked across the room at Kyle.

The girl was interesting, thought Kyle. She could not be a vampire since she was drinking a coke and had ordered food. She was pretty, very pretty, he thought. He could overlook that vampire smell for something like her. When her food came, he saw her politely thank the bartender and then dig in with hunger. Definitely, not a vampire. He wondered what exactly she was, he had an idea. But, he needed to get closer to her and provoke her to find out for sure. He caught the bartender's attention and nodded.

As Dylan was munching on a chip, the bartender put a drink in front of her. Dylan stared at it because it was like nothing she had ever seen before. It was in a tall glass and it seemed to be in layers of different colors. She guessed that the layers were different types of juices or liquors. It had a pink paper umbrella sticking out of the top and a skewer shaped like a sword that had chopped pieces of oranges, kiwis and pineapples on it.

She looked to the bartender and said, "I didn't order that."

"The gentleman did," said the bartender and he looked across the room. Dylan followed his gaze and saw a young and very cute man who got up and was making his way to her. He was tall and lean and was wearing blue jeans and a black leather jacket. He had sandy brown hair with blonde highlights and very pretty green eyes. He took a seat next to her and the bartender put a beer in front of him and walked away.

Kyle took a deep breath through his nose and smelled her. Up close, her smell was different than a vampires. It was similar, but not the same. He could also detect the strong scent of human on her. She was a very intriguing creature, like nothing he had ever come across.

Shyly, Dylan looked at him and said, "Thanks, but I'm not much of a drinker."

"Surely, for me, you can make an exception," he said with a smile. "I ordered the most exotic drink I could think of. It keeps Ray on his toes."

He looked over to the bartender and grinned. The bartender gave him a dirty look.

"I guess, if you put it that way," said Dylan.

Dylan touched the drink, but did not drink it. She seemed to not want to meet his gaze and shyly dropped her eyes.

"I'm Kyle," he said.

"Dylan," she replied.

"Are you just passing through, Dylan?" he asked.

"Yes," said Dylan.

"So, where are you headed?" asked Kyle.

"I'm going west," said Dylan.

She now appeared uncomfortable and fidgeted.

"Are you traveling on business or to see family?" he asked.

She turned to him and said, "Thanks for the drink, but I have to get up early tomorrow morning and be on my way. I should be going."

Kyle smiled at her and said, "You aren't going anywhere until you honestly answer some more questions."

Dylan stood and looked at him and said, "Are you threatening me?"

"No, of course not," said Kyle. "I merely want to talk with you some more."

"I don't know how things work here, but where I come from, you do not keep women against their will," said Dylan.

"Is that really true?" asked Kyle, curious now. "Then, you must willingly associate with vampires. If you are a vampire's pet, why are you running away?"

He heard a sharp intake of breath and, now, she stared angrily at him.

"How dare you, you little prick. I'm no vampire's pet," she said.

Her eyes blazed with fury and, for a moment, Kyle wondered if she was going to attack him. But, then, a pained look quickly replaced the anger in her eyes. He saw tears swimming in her eyes. She blinked them quickly back and steadied herself. She was too strong to want to appear weak in front of them, he thought.

"You don't know anything about me," she said, sadly. "Now, I'm leaving and I suggest that you don't try to stop me."

She turned and moved towards the the door. Kyle nodded at two men who moved to block her path. She hesitated and another man grabbed her arm. She threw him into the wall and again faced the two men by the door. But, they shifted into wolves before her eyes. An audible gasp escaped from her. As Kyle watched, Dylan stared at them in confusion. It was obvious to him, that she had never seen werewolves before. Perhaps, he thought, she had not even known of their existence. The wolves growled and raised their hackles. With her eyes still on the wolves, Dylan began to retreat from them. She was frightened of them and, suddenly, a set of fangs appeared. When the wolves saw that, they snarled and advanced on her. You could tell a lot about a person by what they did when faced with insurmountable odds, thought Kyle. They either caved in like a coward or they fought back even though they knew that there was not any chance of victory. Even though the girl was obviously afraid, she bravely stopped retreating and held her ground. To Kyle's astonishment, she bared her fangs at the wolves and then flashed a gaze to encompass the entire bar, no doubt sensing that everyone present was her enemy. She turned her back to the wall and prepared to defend herself. Kyle had rarely seen such courage, especially from vampires whom he despised. He quickly moved between the wolves and Dylan.

"Stop," said Kyle to the werewolves.

The wolves stopped and Dylan stared at Kyle. He was in charge, she thought.

Kyle paused a moment and then slowly approached Dylan. He held his hands out in view of her to signal that he didn't mean her any harm. She looked so magnificent standing there with her fangs out and her eyes flashing, thought Kyle. He was surprised that he so attracted to something that looked like a vampire. Maybe, it was her courageous heart that had captured him, but vampire fangs or not, he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. She had earned his respect and admiration.

When he reached her, he held out his hand and slowly touched her throat. He could feel the drumming of her pulse beneath his fingers and the warmth of her skin.

"I am not a vampire, nor am I their creature," she said.

"You could have fooled us," said Kyle with a smile.

He reluctantly let go of her and looked back at the two werewolves and said, "It's okay."

They shifted back into human form and began putting their clothes back on. Dylan averted her eyes and Kyle watched her with a smile.

"I apologize for threatening you," said Kyle. "I don't mean you any harm. Please, have a seat. I only want to talk with you."

He walked back towards the place he had been sitting and stopped and waited patiently for her. She wanted to leave but she didn't want to have to fight her way out. She wasn't under any direct threat, now. And she didn't want anyone to get hurt, including herself. Kyle watched her a moment and continued back to his stool. He patted the stool next to him with an almost flirtatious little smile. She retracted her fangs and cautiously returned to her seat and sat down. Everyone else in the bar pretended to ignore them and the music started up again. She, now, took a gulp of the drink.

"You don't need to put away those pretty fangs on my account," Kyle said.

"I don't think everyone else here thinks that way," said Dylan.

"But, it's only me that you should be concerned about," said Kyle.

He was in charge and he knew it. He was bold for someone so young, she thought.

"What are they?" she asked.

"Werewolves," said Kyle.

"Are you a werewolf too?" she asked.

"Yes," said Kyle.

"But, how...I did not know..." she mumbled.

"If vampires exist, is it such a surprise that other things do also?" said Kyle.

Dylan was silent.

"Now, you know what we are," said Kyle. "I would like to know what you are."

Dylan did not meet his eyes and said softly, "I am a monster."

Kyle studied her. She was not happy about what she was.

"You don't look like a monster to me," said Kyle. "But, you smell like vampire and you have fangs. Are you related to them?"

"I guess so," said Dylan. "A vampire did this to me, against my will."

"Is he the one that you are running away from?" asked Kyle.

"No, he is dead," said Dylan. "I thought that I would be finally free when he met the true death. But, his sheriff knew of my existence and now hunts me."

She would be very valuable to vampires, thought Kyle. No wonder, they are looking for her. She was much too valuable to let get away.

"You can't outrun vampires. And this sheriff will hunt you across state lines," said Kyle. "You will be safer with us. We can hide you and protect you."

"I can't go with you," said Dylan. "I don't even know you."

"Sure, you can," said Kyle. "It's not like I'm asking you to sleep with me or something."

He got up and smiled at her and said, "Come on, trust me."

"Why would you help me?" asked Dylan.

"Because I hate vampires, almost as much as you do," he replied.

He held out his hand to her and waited. Dylan stared at it and, then, looked up into his eyes. He saw her eyes were shiny with tears again. He gently reached out and took her hand. He gripped it tightly.

"You don't have to be alone," he said.

A tear escaped and he softly brushed it away with his other hand. He leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Come with me, don't be afraid."

Dylan said, "You don't realize what you are getting into."

Kyle smiled and said, "Yes, I do."

He turned away from her and addressed the bar, "The lady was never here. She is under our protection and my care. Does everyone understand?"

A chorus of yeses rang out and Kyle said to the man who had tried to grab Dylan, "Take the lady's car and follow us. Tell the motel manager to get rid of all the evidence that she was ever there."

Dylan gave him her keys and the man headed out on his appointed task and Kyle, still holding her hand, walked her out of the bar. He escorted her to a SUV and opened the door for her. He got in and pulled to the highway and waited for the girl's car to appear. When it did, Kyle drove away. After a short drive, he pulled off on a side road. Dylan cast a glance at him as they drove. Even illuminated by just the dashboard lights, he was still very attractive. She guessed that they were of a similar age since he probably looked younger due to those boyish good looks. He certainly didn't act young. He was used to having his orders carried out. He must have sensed her study and looked over and smiled. Dylan looked down embarrassed at being caught looking. Kyle's smile only widened into a grin, although she didn't see that.

"Can I ask you how the vampire changed you?" asked Kyle.

"He would drain me to the point of almost death and then revive me with his blood," said Dylan. "He did that many times."

He had been a cruel bastard, thought Kyle. But, then, vampires weren't known for being warm and cuddly.

"I have to know this because it will effect our ability to hide you. But, are you bound to another vampire by blood?" asked Kyle.

"No," said Dylan.

"How did you get away from this sheriff?" asked Kyle. "And is he the one who bit you?"

"He chained me in his dungeon and bit me. He was too smart to let me out of the chains. I had to flirt with his child to get away," said Dylan.

Kyle looked her over. She was resourceful and he guessed that even some vampires were susceptible to a pretty face. Although, this sheriff was not.

Around a curve in the road, a large two story house appeared. The lights were still blazing inside. Kyle pulled the SUV up next to the garage and opened the door for Dylan. He, then, opened the barn door and the man drove her car inside. Kyle took her bag from the man and said goodbye to him. He turned and escorted her inside the house.

Another attractive man and an woman who looked to be in her early fifties waited for them inside. The man had darker hair than Kyle but the same green eyes. The woman was still beautiful, and was one of those women who never seemed to loose their looks with age. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, except for the eye color, Kyle looked remarkably like her. They stared curiously at Kyle and Dylan.

"Hi, Mom and Will," said Kyle.

He held Dylan's hand and said, "This is Dylan and she will be staying with us."

"Hello," they both said as they looked her up and down.

"It's nice to meet you," said Dylan.

"I'll just show her to her room," said Kyle.

He gave Dylan a smile and led her upstairs.

The woman watched Kyle and Dylan go up the stairs. She smiled and said, "My little boy is in love."

"What?" said Will as he turned to his mother.

"A mother always knows when her son meets the right girl," said his mother.

She turned and headed back to the kitchen.

Kyle led her to a bedroom across the hall from his. He put her bag on the bed. It was a spare bedroom, but still was large and comfortable. What looked to be a handmade quilt graced the bed.

He turned to her and said, "I'm just across the hall, if you need anything at all."

"I'm not sure that this is such a good idea," said Dylan. "Your family will be in danger."

"We can take care of ourselves," said Kyle.

He stepped closer to her and caressed her arm lightly.

"And I can take care of you," he said. He gave her a small smile and stepped away from her and left the room.

Will and their mother were waiting for Kyle downstairs in the kitchen. Their mother was busy making some hot chocolate on the stove.

"Can you explain just exactly what that is?" asked Will.

"She's a half-vampire," said Kyle, nonchalantly taking a seat at the breakfast bar.

"Vampire?" said Will. "What?"

"Are you sure?" said their mother, her eyes staring at Kyle intently.

"She has all the signs," said Kyle. "And her story of how it happened makes sense."

Kyle added, "She hates them as much as we do. I wouldn't have brought her here otherwise. It was done against her will and she is running away."

"Poor thing," clucked their mother. She carried the cup of hot chocolate to a breakfast tray and put some whipped cream on top. She added a couple of scones to a small plate and some butter.

She picked up the tray and said to Kyle, "You made the right decision, honey. The girl will stay with us."

Carrying the tray, their mother left the room, heading to their new houseguest.

"Mother approves," said Will. He added with a smile, "But, you are her favorite and you have had her wrapped around your finger from the moment you were born."

Kyle only grinned and grabbed one of his mother's scones. Will watched him. It would be nice to see a girl wrap his very charming but devious brother around her finger, even if she was part vampire.

Dylan sat on the bed and wondered how strange this turn of events was. Who would have ever thought that she would run away from vampires only to find herself in werewolf hands. Until this evening, she had not even known that werewolves existed. How many other strange things exist? A soft knock at her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes?" said Dylan.

The door opened and Kyle's mother entered her room carrying a tray. She could smell the hot chocolate and scones and immediately her mouth watered. At least, that vampire had not killed her love of food.

"I brought you a little nighttime snack," she said, setting the tray down on the bed.

"Thanks, that was very thoughtful of you," said Dylan. "What would you like me to call you? I don't even know your last name."

"Our last name is Sanders," she said. "But, you can call me Doreen, for now."

Doreen smiled and turned away to leave.

"Wait," said Dylan. "I don't know what Kyle told you. But, you need to be aware that my presence here could endanger your family. You seem like good people and I don't want to cause any harm to you. I should leave."

"Nonsense," said Doreen. "We don't turn our backs on someone in need."

Doreen knew that the girl would depart if she gave her the word. She was a good kid. Awful vampires always seemed to prey on the sweet ones, she thought.

"I don't know how to repay your kindness," said Dylan.

"Well, you can start by digging in," said Doreen. "If you need anything else, Kyle is just across the hall."

She smiled at Dylan and said, "He likes you." And with that, she turned and left.

Dylan sipped the hot chocolate and bit into a scone. It was blueberry and melted in her mouth. Damn, she thought with a smile, she could get used to this. Who would have thought that werewolf mothers knew how to bake such delicious scones? She changed into a pajama bottoms and a snug tank top for sleep. She opened her door and looked down the hallway. All the doors were closed. Which one was the bathroom? She didn't want to just start opening all of them. She stepped to Kyle's door and tentatively knocked.

"It's open," he said.

She opened the door and saw him reading in bed. The covers were down to his waist and his chest was bare. For a moment, the thought of whether he was wearing anything else under those blankets crossed her mind. Focus, she thought.

"Is there something that you want?" he asked, pleasantly.

Was he teasing her, she wondered, with that choice of words?

"Um, which door is the bathroom?" asked Dylan.

"Last door on the left," said Kyle. "There is a little linen closet right next to it if you need towels or anything else."

"Thanks, and...and goodnight," said Dylan, who did her best not to stare anymore.

"Goodnight, Dylan," he said with a little smile.

She closed the door and stood there a moment. His body was just as pleasing to the eye as his pretty face. And he had not looked like such a boy without his clothes. She made her way to the bathroom and tried to think of something else.

Inside his room, Kyle picked up his book and resumed reading. But, he couldn't stop the tiny smirk that passed over his lips.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for all the positive feedback and for the review/story alerts. *beams* **

**This was my first story to let others read. I hope you don't mind all the original characters, I'll bring the regulars back soon. This is just a little chapter of Kyle/Dylan.**

Chapter Three

In the morning, Dylan got up and dressed and went downstairs. It was only 7am and she was surprised to find out that the boys had already left.

"They left early to go into town and make sure that everyone knows not to talk about you and to explain that you are under the protection of the pack," said Doreen.

Dylan sat down at the table and Doreen immediately placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her. She poured a cup of coffee for her and one for herself and sat down across from Dylan.

Dylan looked at Doreen and said, "Mrs. Sanders, I think that I should just get my car and leave. It's too dangerous for me to be here."

Doreen had carefully hidden those car keys since she thought the girl might decide to run. Doreen was not going to have her do that. Those awful vampires would catch her in no time, and then, well, Doreen didn't want to imagine what they would do to her.

"We are aware of the risks," said Doreen.

"They might kill you for helping me," said Dylan.

"Most likely, they would kill us anyway," said Doreen. "You don't understand, dear, but vampires and werewolves are sworn enemies."

"But, I...I'm like a vampire," said Dylan.

"I only see a victim of their cruelty," said Doreen. "They might have changed some superficial things about you. But the important things that make you who you are, they weren't able to touch those."

Dylan started to cry. Doreen got up and slowly hugged Dylan close to herself.

"Let it out," said Doreen. "Maybe it would help to talk about it."

"He was the most evil creature that I had ever met. He almost killed me so many times, but he always brought me back. I used to pray that he would take me too far and I would die. His cruelty knew no limits, he did...other things to me," sobbed Dylan.

Dylan looked up at Doreen and said, "This sheriff does not seem as malicious as the vampire who did this to me. He is calm and rational and that makes him more dangerous. I am something important to him, he won't just let me go."

Dylan wiped her eyes and said, "That is why if I truly care about someone, I must leave."

Doreen looked down on her and, smiling, said, "And who is it that you care for? Is it my son?"

Dylan grew embarrassed, "No, I mean, of course I do. I like all of you."

"He's been known to break a few girl's hearts before. It's not pride to say that he is just about adorable. But, underneath those looks of his is a very calculating and sometimes cold heart. He's my son and I know," said Doreen.

Dylan found herself caught in Doreen's gaze. She looked into her face and couldn't help thinking how much Kyle looked like her. Except, her eyes were blue. Yet, like Kyle's eyes sometimes did, they seemed to be illuminated by some inner light. It was a beautiful effect and she wondered if it was a werewolf characteristic.

Doreen brushed a strand of Dylan's hair off her face and said, "I also know that he hides a part of himself away. A part that has been waiting for the right girl to find. He's never given his heart to another, until now." She added with a smile, "But, he can't stop being what he is. He will use all that charm of his to get what he wants. You, my dear, are very much in danger of falling in love."

When Kyle and Will returned they found their mother at the kitchen window with a cup of tea. They walked up to her to see what what she was looking at. They saw Dylan dressed in shorts and a bikini top lying on a blanket in the sunshine. The girl was wearing dark sunglasses and a ghost of a smile graced her face. Kyle prepared a glass of iced tea and went outside to her.

Will and Doreen watched them.

"Well, at least this proves that she is not a vampire," said Will.

"She's a strong woman," said Doreen. "She had to be in order to survive what was done to her."

"She's not a werewolf," said Will. "And she is part vampire."

"So, we will be the talk of the town and the surrounding packs," said Doreen. "Do you honestly have anything against her?"

Will watched his little brother and Dylan and said, "We are already the talk of the town. The entire town was already buzzing about how she singlehandedly faced down the entire bar last night."

"Did she really do that?" asked Doreen. Will could detect a note of pride in her voice.

"She did indeed," said Will, with a smile. "Is it any surprise that Kyle lost his heart over her? Heck, he's not the only one. Half the wolves in this town would take her, fangs or not."

"I'm not one to go on about destiny or fate," said Doreen. "But, that girl was delivered into our hands. Of all the hundreds of places that she could have stopped along the highway, she stopped here. And in one meeting, she stole the heart of my son who has never been in love before, except, perhaps, with himself. If that is not fate, I don't know what is."

"Does she care for him as well?" asked Will, since even though his baby brother might deserve to have his heart broken, he did not want to see that happen.

Doreen smiled and said, "Yes. It's a mutual bond that is forming. It's almost like she is a werewolf, since she feels it just as strongly as Kyle. She just doesn't understand it, yet."

Will put his arm around his mother.

"She is what he needs," said Doreen. "I think that she's is what we all need."

There was a silence as the two of them contemplated the future.

Finally, Will broke the silence and said, "The vampires will come for her. She is something too special for them not to."

Doreen turned to her son and Will saw the strength in her eyes. It was probably why she was drawn to the girl. She would respect another woman with courage and find her worthy of her precious Kyle. For, Will knew that his mother would not give her blessing to just any woman in the matter of her youngest son. It had used to hurt him a little that his mother seemed to love Kyle more than him. But, as he grew older, he realized that his mother loved both of her sons deeply. And while he knew now that his mother loved him equally, there was no denying that her love for Kyle was different. His father and mother had tried for years to give him a sibling. By the time Will was twelve, they had resolved themselves to be parents of an only child and counted their blessings. They were a happy family of three and young Will had no idea how fragile and fleeting life really was. Then, his father was killed in a freak accident at work. Three weeks after the accident, as he and his mother were still reeling from the loss his father, his mother found out that she was pregnant. That news brought incredible joy and heartbreak at the same time. Yet, when Kyle came, his mother chose to only see the joy in the gift that his father had left her with. They were again a family of three, bound together by their mutual love for each other. Someone would have to be very special to be allowed into their family.

"We won't give her up without a fight," said Doreen.

She turned her eyes back to her son and Dylan and added, "Not now."

Kyle walked to Dylan and stood so that he blocked the sunlight falling down on her.

He saw her smile and said, "Is this how you've been spending your day? Getting a tan?"

"Don't knock it," said Dylan. "I might have to use SPF 45, but nothing can take the place of feeling the sunshine on my skin."

Kyle grinned and moved beside her on the blanket. He handed her the glass of iced tea.

Dylan sat up and took the glass and said, "Thanks."

He reached for her other hand and caressed it with his fingers and said, "Are you absolutely sure that there is nothing that could feel better than sunlight on your skin?"

Dylan turned to look at him and she was wearing one of his mother's straw hats to help keep the sun off her face.

"You are a terrible flirt, Kyle Sanders," she said with a smile.

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing," said Kyle with a grin. "There are lots of girls who delight in my flirtatious attentions."

"Why aren't you with them, then?" said Dylan.

"Because I don't want to be anywhere else than here with you," said Kyle.

"You are very good, I have to give you credit for that," said Dylan with a smile.

"In spite of my youthful appearance, I've had lots of practice," said Kyle, still grinning.

"That does not surprise me," said Dylan. "But, I know all about boys like you."

"Do you?" said Kyle.

He still caressed her hand and looked at her and said, "Knowing all about me still won't keep you from succumbing to my charms."

He could still see Dylan's eyes behind those sunglasses and knew she looked down at their hands locked together. But, she did not attempt to remove her hand from his.

"There is a pretty little pond just over that hill," said Kyle, as he used his free hand to point. "Would you like to see it?"

Dylan nodded and Kyle got up and pulled her to her feet. Still holding her hand, he walked with her over the hill.

When the little pond came into view, Dylan smiled and said, "It's beautiful."

"My mother planted flowers and other plants around it and removed all the weeds. She had us put in those bird houses to attract songbirds. She even put these expensive Japanese koi in the pond. Will and I had to catch and remove any of the larger fish in there so they wouldn't eat her precious fish, plus we had to drive almost a hundred miles to get those koi for her," said Kyle. "Come, they are usually resting in the shadows over by the tree."

Kyle pulled her over to the other side of the pond and in the shade by a rock outcropping, he showed her the koi. They were multi-colored and their fins swayed lazily.

"They are so beautiful," whispered Dylan. "I've never seen them so big."

"They have been here for several years, now," said Kyle.

There was a little bench underneath the branches of the tree, and Kyle led her to that.

"My mother comes here to garden and meditate," said Kyle. "It's a pleasant spot, sometimes I come here as well."

Dylan knew he was sharing a favorite place with her and it touched her. Now, that they were in the shade, she pulled off the hat and removed the sunglasses.

"Thank you for sharing this place with me," she said, shyly.

Kyle ran his finger down her arm and said, "You didn't burn. Do you only need to wear the sunglasses in the direct sunshine?"

"I probably sunburn easier than most other people, but a little SPF lets me enjoy the sunshine like anyone else. And yes, only looking into bright sunlight hurts my eyes," said Dylan.

"That hurts anyone's eyes, so you aren't any different," said Kyle.

"There is a small chance that these changes might not be permanent," said Dylan. "They could wear off as long as I don't take in any more vampire blood."

"If this is what you wish for, then it is my wish as well," said Kyle. "But, if you stay as what you are, my feelings for you will not change."

He leaned in and gently kissed her, tasting her lips. Dylan returned the kiss and shyly drew away. He lifted her chin and kissed her again. He took her hand and looked into her eyes.

"I know that I am forward," said Kyle. "I will try to be slow with you."

"Did you help me because you want me to...," Dylan's voice trailed off.

"You make me sound absolutely terrible," said Kyle, with a smile. "I don't know if I should be offended or flattered."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," said Dylan. "But, I'm a little messed up. I feel things that I don't understand, sometimes."

Kyle seemed to eye her with more intensity.

He gently squeezed her hand and said, "And do you feel these feelings when you are around me?"

Dylan looked up into his unique eyes and said, "Yes."

Kyle understood what was happening to him. But, he was a werewolf and he was being called to a mate. He had not expected her to experience the same calling and instinct. But, incredibly, this pull was effecting her also.

"When you are with me, like we are now, what do you feel?" said Kyle. "Surely, you can understand things in terms of rightness and wrongness."

He kissed her on the cheek and then breathed into her ear, "Does this feel right?"

The closeness of his body next to hers and his soft breath in her ear sent a shiver of desire down her spine. His hand caressed a path from her shoulder to her arm. Underneath the warmth of his touch, she felt her skin break out in goose pimples.

With a sigh, she said, "It feels more than right. It feels like you are not someone that I only met last night, but someone that I have always known."

Kissing her on the lips, Kyle said, "That is exactly how I feel. Don't be afraid of what you are feeling. You will understand it when you are ready."

"You sounds like you know something that I don't," said Dylan.

Kyle smiled and said, "I only know that I am declaring my intention to use all my powers of seduction to make you realize how absolutely irresistible I am."

"A seduction doesn't sound like a long term affair to me," said Dylan.

"That is only the means of obtaining you," said Kyle. "Once I have you, I don't intend to ever let you go. I intend to make you fall hopelessly in love with me."

"You seem very confident with your abilities," said Dylan. "Are you so sure that you can steal my heart?"

Kyle only smiled and leaned in to kiss her. He moved and inhaled the fragrance of her hair. He ran his tongue over the outline of her ear and whispered, "I won't have to steal your heart, Dylan. You'll give that to me."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Eric was in the basement and he was pacing back and forth. He was on the phone to one of his lieutenants. Pam stood on the steps and listened to the exchange.

"Are you telling me that you have completely lost the girl's trail?" he said.

"Sir, she just seems to have vanished," said his lieutenant.

"You have failed me," said Eric. "Do you understand what it is to fail me?"

He lost control and began to rant, "You are a vampire, one of my highest ranking lieutenants, and you are telling me that you can't find one little girl who is all alone. How is that possible?"

There was a momentary pause and then the lieutenant said, "I'm sorry, Sir, but she is not an ordinary girl. She is not using any credit cards and there has not been any sightings of her car."

"I don't want to hear your excuses," said Eric. "I want you to set up two or more teams and I want them to stop at every conceivable spot on the highways that she might have gone. They will personally flash her picture and ask questions of everyone. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Sir, of course," said his lieutenant.

"And the next time that you check in with me, you had better have some progress to report. Do you understand that?" said Eric.

"Yes, Sir," said his lieutenant.

Eric hung up the phone and continued to angrily pace. Who would have thought that girl would cause so many problems. Annoying little hybrid, he thought. There was a way to ensure that she could not run away again, if his incompetent lieutenant was able to find her. She would drink either his or Pam's blood when she was returned. Of course, if Pam had not let her loose that girl would not be free.

"Perhaps, you should just let her go," said Pam.

"I'm surprised, Pam," said Eric. "I thought that you would want to teach her a lesson for bashing in your skull."

"I don't want to worry about my pets offing me," said Pam. "If she was a student of Cole's, I don't want to have anything to do with her."

Eric could agree with that assessment. No matter how delicious she tasted, there was no way he was going to turn his back on her either, he thought.

"She also seems to be able to hide among humans since you can't find her. I know that she doesn't want our help, but maybe, she doesn't need it," said Pam.

"I am surprised by that," said Eric. "However, I saw first-hand that her level of control can be thin. She also attacked me in the basement."

"A little warning would have been nice," said Pam, sarcastically.

"I thought that you could handle her," replied Eric.

Eric continued to pace.

"If she does something to bring human attention to her, she will cause humans to fear us even more than they already do," said Eric.

"If you are serious about finding her, I think that it's time to find a better tracker," said Pam.

"The werewolf?" said Eric.

"Isn't that what he is supposed to be good at?" said Pam.

Pam did have a point, but the trail would be growing cold and weather might have already deteriorated the scent. He really didn't understand how those creatures tracked. Still, he would lose nothing by having the werewolf try.

"See if you can get ahold of him," said Eric. "And tell him to come here."

Alcide arrived, having been summoned to Fangtasia. As usual, the werewolf displayed his usual lack of enthusiasm at having to work for him. Maybe if he could keep his father out of debt to him, the werewolf would not be in this predicament, thought Eric evilly. However, Eric enjoyed having the werewolf at his beck and call. And, as much as he disliked him, the werewolf had proved himself extremely useful on many occasions.

Eric handed the werewolf an article of the girl's clothing. Alcide frowned as he realized that he would be hunting a girl.

"Find her," said Eric.

"And who exactly am I looking for?" asked Alcide.

"Well, what do you smell, werewolf?" asked Eric. He was curious as to what the werewolf would be able to detect about her.

Alcide lifted the blouse to his nose and sniffed it. A slight look of confusion passed over his handsome features and he sniffed again.

"She smells different," said Alcide. "I am not familiar with this scent, but I can detect the smell of vampire."

"She is something different," said Eric.

"That doesn't tell me what she is," said Alcide.

"She is a hybrid, part-vampire and part-human," said Eric.

"I would say that is impossible, except that I have seen one of these creatures before," said Alcide.

Alcide paused a moment as he remembered that creature. It was not a pleasant memory on more than one level. He still regretted his involvement in the entire affair.

"This one was not made the same way. She was not born this way," said Eric.

"Just how many ways are there to make one of these things?" said Alcide.

"I'm not sure exactly how Fallon was created," said Eric. "Her creation is something that her makers will never divulge the details of."

"Fallon is still gone?" asked Alcide.

"Nervous? Afraid that she'll come back and finish you off?" taunted Eric.

"Aren't you?" asked Alcide.

Eric smiled as he remembered Fallon.

"She forgave me, sort of," said Eric.

Alcide didn't understand why she didn't kill the vampire when she got free of him. After all the vampire did to her, it still incensed Alcide that he got off scott free. He cast an irritated glance at the vampire. Maybe, what they say about vampire bedroom skills was true since he knew that the vampire and Fallon were lovers.

"So, did you make this one?" asked Alcide.

"No," said Eric.

"How is it even possible?" asked Alcide.

"It is an extremely rare occurrence. Just the right set of circumstances have to happen and, even then, it won't happen unless the right human is chosen," said Eric.

"What kind of human?" asked Alcide.

"A special one," said Eric, ambiguously.

"Is she dangerous, like the other one?" asked Alcide.

"For a big, bad werewolf," said Eric. "You certainly are afraid of little girls."

"These creatures aren't little girls, no matter how sweet and innocent they look," said Alcide.

"My assassin trained her. I'm not sure of how adept she is," said Eric.

Great, thought Alcide. Why does the vampire want these creatures?

"You have your assignment, werewolf," said Eric. "Don't fail me."

That same evening, the local town was having its summer celebration at the local school. Since only locals would be attending, it was deemed safe for Dylan to come with the family. Dylan had helped Doreen bake all day long. The end result of their efforts were several pies and cakes. Dylan had been somewhat reluctant about attending, but Doreen had pointed out that she was going to have to meet the locals sooner or later.

Doreen had found Dylan a pretty summer dress in white. It had spaghetti straps and a pleated skirt. When Dylan walked out wearing the dress, it seemed like she was in her own spotlight. Her hair fell in soft waves and her already pretty features had a light adornment of makeup. The sight of her coming down the stairs had caused both Will and Kyle to stop and admire the view.

When they arrived at the gathering, Will and Kyle went off to check in with pack members that were in attendance while Doreen and Dylan carried the baked goods to the buffet table.

As they arrived and began to unload the pies and cakes, another woman approached them. She appeared to be in her forties and seemed to be in charge of arranging the buffet table.

"Doreen, it's always a pleasure to see you," she said to Doreen, but her eyes were on Dylan.

"Hello, Sarah," said Doreen.

When Doreen didn't say anything else, Sarah cleared her throat and looked expectantly at Dylan.

"Sarah," said Doreen, at last, "this is Dylan and Dylan this is Sarah Jacobs."

"Hello, Mrs. Jacobs," said Dylan, politely.

"Hello," said Sarah. "You're even prettier than I heard."

Dylan looked embarrassed and said, "Thank you."

Sarah then showed them where to place the pies and cakes.

Dylan cautiously looked around and unhappily found that she was object of several peoples attention. She glanced away quickly.

"Perhaps, I shouldn't have come," said Dylan.

"I guess that I should have explained things to you better," said Doreen. "But, we are like the first family of the community, at least as far as the pack members go, since Will is pack leader and Kyle is his second in command. So, anything that happens in our family is of interest to the rest of the pack and to the community as a whole. Everyone is understandably curious about you."

"Is everyone here a werewolf?" asked Dylan.

"No. This community began as a place where werewolves could find a refuge and be with their own kind. But, after time passed, it was found that there were others who were also searching for a place like this. And the werewolves here mate for love and often mate outside the pack. We are now a complex mix of werewolves, shifters and humans," said Doreen.

Doreen added, "But, due to the nature of our population, we can't allow outsiders in."

"And what would happen if a regular family moved in?" asked Dylan.

"We have taken steps to ensure that won't happen," said Doreen.

Dylan considered what a unique place this town was. A place where they could all be themselves and not have to hide and pretend to be something that they were not. She remembered what the vampire had said to her. He had said that she would not be able to coexist with humans anymore. But, surely in a place like this, her differences would not matter. For the first time in a long time, she began to contemplate a future that she had thought was stolen from her.

Slowly, a crowd of ladies enveloped Doreen and Dylan. With all the introductions and questions, Dylan was getting understandably flustered. She was a relatively shy girl and was not used to being the center of attention. All this was evident to Will and Kyle as they returned back to find them.

"As expected, the nosey ladies of the community have wasted no time in getting Dylan in their claws," said Will. "I think that it's time for you to rescue her."

Kyle smiled and strode into the center of the maelstrom. The crowd seemed to part before him with a sigh. Dylan's eyes found his and he smiled at the relief that he saw in them.

"Excuse me ladies," he said. "But, I've come to steal away my intended."

He took Dylan by the hand and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Holding her hand, he quickly escorted her away.

As they walked away, the buzz of the whispers started up and grew louder. He had made it official now, thought Doreen. That would spread like wildfire throughout the community.

Now, some of the comments became audible to Doreen.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe it," said one. "Kyle Sanders is engaged."

" All the young single ladies are going to be crying into their pillows tonight," said another.

"What do you mean young?" replied another. "There is not a woman in this community between 18 and 50 who would kick him out of bed."

"Mother, I don't really need to hear that," replied her daughter.

"Hey, ladies, we still have his brother left," yet another said. "And he isn't too shabby either."

"Here, here, at least there is still hope for the rest of us," several said.

"I would say that she moves fast, but did you see the look on his face?" someone else said. "I think thats it's the other way around."

"I mean, let's face it, how could we have possibly competed against her? She's drop-dead gorgeous, if you pardon the pun," another said.

That produced a chorus of good-natured giggles. The ladies moved in and congratulated Doreen.

"Thank you for rescuing me," said Dylan when they were out of earshot of the women.

"They can be a little overwhelming," said Kyle. "They are just curious."

"You gave them more to talk about," said Dylan.

"Well, you are my intended," said Kyle. "I can't help it if you haven't surrendered to my manly wiles, yet."

"Manly wiles?" said Dylan. "I think that I might like the sound of that."

"Am I tempting you, yet?" said Kyle, raising her hand to his lips and kissing it.

Dylan blushed and dropped her eyes. Kyle wondered how she could be so shy, surely he was not the only boy to have made a fuss over her. She was just too pretty.

He gently raised her chin and kissed her.

"What about now?" he whispered into her ear.

He winked and added, "There's more where that came from."

"You aren't playing fair," said Dylan.

"I never said that I would play fair," said Kyle with a smile.

He squeezed her hand and began walking again with her.

Will was also surrounded by other pack members.

"Has anyone come looking for the girl, yet?" he asked.

The group answered with negatives.

"I don't think vampires would even suspect that we would take her in," said one.

"I can hardly believe it myself," said another.

Will turned his gaze on him and he explained, "I mean knowing the girl, herself, you can understand it. But to vampires, it won't make any sense."

"She's not a fanger," said another. "I don't care if she does have fangs. I saw what happened in the bar. The only time she got upset was when Kyle called her a vampire's pet."

"I saw her too, there aren't many who can stand up to a den of werewolves. She can hold her own in a fight, I'll say that for her," replied another.

"There is no one here that has suffered more at the hands of a vampire than that girl," said Will. "But, they did not break her spirit. No one here has earned the right to judge her. And, they are not going to come and take her away without a fight."

"Will, relax, we don't give up one of our own to vampires," came a reply.

As they returned home, Will and Doreen headed for bed.

Kyle pulled Dylan into the living room.

"It's late. I should be off to bed, too," said Dylan.

"Come on, just sit with me a while," said Kyle.

When she still balked, Kyle grinned and said, "I promise to be an almost perfect gentleman."

"What does that mean?" asked Dylan.

"It's not within my capacity to be a perfect gentleman, at least around you," said Kyle.

When Dylan gave him a look, he smirked and said, "Hey, at least, I'm honest about it."

He pulled her down beside him and began to kiss her. Holding her gently, he brushed his fingers into her hair and softly kissed her lips. He slowly kissed his way down her neck. He was pleased to note that the fang marks had faded away. He felt Dylan arch her head back a little, giving him better access. As he continued to kiss her, he heard a snick. He felt her freeze in his hands and then she began to try to push him away.

"I'm sorry. I...I can't control that," she cried, still trying to push him away with one hand and cover up her fangs with the other.

He gently caressed her and took her hand that she was holding in front of her face into his.

"It just happens when I get excited or scared," said Dylan.

Kyle smiled and leaned in to kissed her on the cheek.

He moved to her ear and whispered, "So which was it? Did I excite you or scare you?"

He moved again to her neck and kissed her, whispering, "Or was it both?"

As he continued to kiss her, he heard a soft, "Both."

Kyle returned to look into her eyes. He gently took her chin in his hand and brushed his thumb over her lips. He softly touched one of her fangs with his thumb. And he noticed that it caused Dylan to close her eyes. They must be sensitive to the touch, he thought. Perhaps, touching them caused a pleasurable sensation. He would have never guessed that fangs would be an erogenous zone.

He gently continued to trace his thumb along her fangs and Dylan softly sighed his name. While still touching her fangs, he kissed her cheek and moved to her ear.

"Those fangs don't bother me. In fact, I find them oddly arousing," he said.

He kissed her on the lips and this time used his tongue to gently explore those fangs. Dylan returned the kiss and slowly wrapped her arms around him.

He stopped a moment to whisper in her ear, "Just remember, no biting on the first date. I'm not that kind of boy."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I want to apologize to any that might have started this story thinking that it was just a Eric/OC story. It was my fault for not clearing describing it and since this was my first story, I plead ignorance. However, I want you to know that this story isn't over and Eric Northman still has a part to play in it.

Chapter Five

The next day, Alcide picked up the girl's scent at her home and followed the trail that the girl had used to leave the city. As he followed her, his thoughts lingered over this almost vampire. She had been human once, he thought. Now, she was something that didn't really belong to anyone. Neither human, nor vampire. Yet, surely, she was more like a vampire. She certainly was too different to fit in with humans, he thought. And much too dangerous if she had the powers of a vampire.

Even though he tried not to think about her, his thoughts again returned to the other half-vampire that he had met. Eric Northman had also had him hunt her. But, she was different, for she had been raised by vampires and was trained by them to kill and kill very efficiently. Oh, she had been good at killing, he thought, as he remembered how she had almost strangled the life out of him. The only thing that had saved him was that Eric Northman had called her off. He would say that he owed his life to the vampire, except it was the vampire's fault that she had in for him in the first place.

He glanced again at the photograph that Eric Northman had given him. It showed an achingly pretty girl with a sweet, shy smile. He thought, what kind of monster would have done the things that would have been necessary to change her into what she now was? The vampire denied it was him. Wasn't it true that this girl needed someone to at least give her guidance and control? A freshly made vampire was a reckless and dangerous creature. How could that pretty girl from the picture still be the same girl she was before? Her life had been forever altered.

The trail took him to Merlott's. Now, this was a surprise, thought Alcide. As he parked his car and walked to the entrance, he wondered if Sookie would be working. He came inside and scanned the interior, looking for the pretty blonde. He was rewarded by a shout of his name. As he turned in the direction of the call, he saw Sookie walking towards him with a smile. Alcide could not help himself from admiring her tanned legs in those black shorts.

Sookie gave him a hug and said, "It's so good to see you. Did you come to see me?"

"Ah, no," said Alcide. "Although, it did make my evening to see you."

Sookie frowned slightly and said, "So, why are you here?"

"I'm doing a job for Eric Northman," said Alcide.

"Again? I thought that you paid off that debt," said Sookie.

"It's a long story," said Alcide.

"Well, come on, you can have dinner and tell me all about it on my break," said Sookie, as she pulled him to a booth.

She brought him the chicken fried steak dinner and slid into the booth on the opposite side.

"So, what are you doing for Eric Northman?" she asked.

Alcide took out the photograph and laid it on the table. Sookie stared at it and did her best at pretending that she did not know the girl.

"I know that she has been here, Sookie," said Alcide.

"Why is Eric Northman so hot to find this girl? What could she possibly have done to him?" asked Sookie.

"She didn't do anything that I know of," said Alcide. "He wants her because of what she has become."

"And that is?" asked Sookie.

"She's part vampire," said Alcide.

"But, I saw her in the daytime. She walked out into the bright sunlight, Alcide," said Sookie. "There is no way that she is a vampire."

"That is why she is so valuable," said Alcide. "She's a day walker."

"She looked like just a shy girl to me," said Sookie.

Looks can be deceiving, thought Alcide. The other creature also looked like just a pretty and innocent girl, too.

"Whatever she may look like, she is incredibly dangerous," said Alcide.

"I'm supposed to believe that, Alcide?" said Sookie.

"I know what I'm talking about," said Alcide. "I have had dealings with one of these things before."

"Are you even listening to what you are saying?" said Sookie. "She isn't a thing."

"She used to be human," said Alcide.

"What happened to her?" asked Sookie.

"A vampire changed her into what she is now," said Alcide.

"I would say that she has already suffered enough," said Sookie. "Do you honestly think that Eric is going to treat her well? He can be generous sometimes, and then, follow that up with something despicable."

"Still, she is like a vampire. Doesn't she belong with her own kind?" said Alcide.

"There is a long way from being like a vampire to being an actual vampire," said Sookie. "It sounds to me like she doesn't have any kind of her own."

Sookie stared at him a moment longer. She got up and said, "Well, I gotta get back to work. I know that you are under obligation to Eric. But, remember, when you find this girl, you are going to have to live with yourself and what you decide to do, Alcide."

Before Sookie left, Alcide grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Um, I hate to ask, but do you mind if I shift on your property tonight, Sookie," said Alcide. "There's a full moon."

"Sure, you can leave your clothes in the shed," said Sookie.

She paused and said, "I just want to you think about how much you enjoy your freedom as you are running through the woods tonight, Alcide. Doesn't everyone deserve that?"

Dylan ran swiftly through the forest. She could run much faster than a human, but she was tiring from running so long. She stopped and leaned against a tree. As she tried to catch her breath, she heard a howl. He was gaining on her, she thought. How was that possible? She must have caused a predator reaction by running away. Instinctively, she was being hunted. She realized that it had not been the wisest decision to enter into the woods on the night that the pack shifted together. The Sanders had warned her to stay inside. But, her curiosity had gotten the better of her. She had thought that she could just stay on the fringes and watch. She had wanted to see Kyle in his wolf form. But, a wolf had picked up her scent and left the pack to follow her. Relentlessly it was pursuing her, it's howls coming ever closer.

She entered a small clearing and stopped. Her eyes scanned the woods and as she watched the shadows seemed to move. The shadows coalesced into a form that materialized out of the trees. A wolf trotted out into the clearing. Darcie stared because it was the most beautiful creature that she had seen. He was a black wolf, but his coat was tipped in silver so that he looked like he was dusted with frost. When she looked at it's eyes, she knew who it was. Green eyes stared at her with surprising intelligence. It a wolf could be smiling, he would have been smiling at her. He shook himself and the silver tips of his coat seemed to catch the moonlight and sparkled. With his eyes on her, he slowly approached her. Dylan stood still and he came and ran his body along her legs. He was big, he seemed much bigger than a normal wolf, for he came almost to her waist. But, then thought Dylan, when had she ever been this up close and personal with a wolf? She reached down and ran her fingers through his coat which was surprisingly thick and soft. After a moment, he walked several feet away from her. Before her eyes, Kyle shifted back into human form. Her breath caught as she gazed at him bathed in the moonlight. His green eyes seemed to pick up the traces of the moonlight and softly glowed. Wolf and man, forever bound together, she thought. You could never fully separate the two portions, nor could you love one and not the other.

"You shouldn't have come into the forest tonight," he said.

"I wanted to see you," said Dylan.

Kyle smiled and said, "Well, you have seen all of me there is to see, Dylan."

Yet, he did not attempt to hide his nakedness or the evident arousal that she had caused.

"You should go back now. Instincts run deep at this time and I don't have the level of control needed to keep away from you," he said.

Dylan walked slowly to him and gazed into those eyes that were more animal than human now.

"I want to stay here, with you," she said.

Kyle still stopped himself from touching her.

"You don't understand, Dylan," he said. "I am more than just a man tonight, even if I stay in human form. This night has a magic of it's own."

Dylan reached out and touched him. Her hand caressed his jaw and she glided her fingers down to his chest. As her hand moved down farther, she heard his breath catch and his eyes closed.

"I'm where I want to be," she whispered. "With the werewolf that I love."

Kyle embraced her and hungrily tasted her lips. And as the moonlight illuminated the little clearing, their bodies twined together with need and passion.

Later, Dylan softly ran her fingers through Kyle's soft hair as he slept. His head rested on her stomach and his arm was thrown over her. They were now in Kyle's bed. She smiled as she caressed him. He deserved his rest since he had given them both a workout. They had made love several times in the dark of the forest. And while he had been gentle with her, there was no denying that there had been an element of wildness in their couplings. That had excited her and, in turn, had both pleased and excited Kyle. And he had been right about there being something magical about tonight. For as he had moved within her and gazed into her eyes, Dylan knew that their hearts had begun to beat in synch with each other. And then something besides their bodies began to join. She could feel him inside her head. She felt her pleasure, but she could also feel what he was feeling. She had gasped and closed her eyes then.

He leaned down and said, "Don't be afraid, stay with me."

He gently kissed her and continued. As Dylan relaxed, she could feel his consciousness touching hers until she did not know where she ended and he began. They felt the same things and their reactions perfectly matched each other. Ever higher in pleasure they rose, until they climaxed at the same time. It seemed that Dylan entered into a blinding light and as it bathed her in it's warmth, she realized that Kyle was the light. She had cried out and pulled him close as the aftershocks of that orgasm passed over them.

As she petted him now, she thought that at least she would always have that memory to cherish and relive. She couldn't love him any more and that was why she needed to do what must be done. With a heavy heart, Dylan gently shook him awake.

He sleepily smiled and said, "Again? You may be the death of me."

"No, I won't," said Dylan.

He looked up at her with such trust and Dylan took his chin in her hand. She locked her gaze with his and began to empty her mind, so that she could pull in his. Their joining had actually helped because she was already familiar with his mind. His eyes widened as he realized what she was doing, but it was too late to resist. He was trapped and she held him in her power.

"You will forget," she began.

When Dylan descended the stairs and went into the kitchen to retrieve her keys, she found Will and Doreen already up and drinking coffee. Their eyes took in her packed bag and Will stood up.

"What's going on, Dylan?" asked Will.

"I'm going back. It's the only way," said Dylan.

"But, we will protect you," said Will.

"At what price?" said Dylan. "How many lives might be lost? Including Kyle's. I won't let that happen."

"But, Kyle will go after you," said Doreen. "He will surely die if you do this."

"No, I have fixed it so that won't happen," said Dylan. "I have glamoured him and made him forget about me. You must keep him from remembering. If you love him and have any sort of feeling for me, you will do this."

"Dylan, wait," said Doreen.

"There was never going to be a happily ever after for me and Kyle," said Dylan. "But, if you do this, Kyle can still have that life he was meant to have."

Dylan then went to the cupboard and got her keys that Doreen had hidden behind the bowls.

She gazed at them for a second and said, "I won't forget any of you."

With an anguished look, she exited the door and left them behind.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Dylan drove and tried to focus on the road. But, she was failing miserably. Finally, she put all her heartache into a little compartment in her mind and walled it off. After a few moments of concentration and deep breaths, she found that she felt better. And then, she wondered if that signaled that she was losing her humanity and becoming more vampire because she had successfully switched off her emotions. Maybe, it was self preservation, she thought. If she gave into these emotions, she would either turn the car around and go back or she would end her existence.

She stopped at a gas station and filled up. Even though she was not hungry, she went inside to get some snacks. That was when she realized that she was being observed. She turned and looked around and found the person responsible. After such close association with the Sanders, she knew immediately what he was. Werewolf. They locked eyes with each other and she felt his fear. She wondered why he would be afraid of her. She walked past him and into the store. After she had paid for her gas and snacks, she went back to her car and found the werewolf by her car. He was tense and as tightly wound as a spring. She wondered if he was going to attack. He was handsome with dark hair and eyes. She clutched her bag and slowly walked to her car.

"Dylan Thomas?" he asked.

If he knew who she was, then he knew what she was, she thought. And the only ones who knew that were vampires. She wondered why a werewolf was working for vampires.

"You obviously know who I am," said Dylan. "Did Mr. Northman send you?"

"Yes," he said. "I don't want any trouble."

"Neither do I," said Dylan. "Look, I'm going back. If you want to escort me, that's fine."

The werewolf seemed surprised and visibly relaxed. Although not totally, she thought, since he still eyed her with caution.

"I'm not leaving my car. You can follow me," said Dylan.

"Can I ask you why you're returning?" asked the werewolf.

As Alcide watched her, he saw her carefully neutral face crumple with a pained expression. It only lasted a second and it was replaced again by that unemotional expression.

"I don't belong anywhere else," she said.

"My name is Alcide Herveaux," he said.

Alcide studied her. She wasn't what he was expecting. He knew that he wasn't in any danger from her. And he knew that underneath that glacial exterior, the girl was hurting. He wondered what had happened to her. Where had she been these days?

Dylan turned back to her car and Alcide said, "Wait."

Those carefully guarded eyes stared at him and he said, "Are you sure that you want to go back? I could forget that I saw you."

"Eventually, the truth would come out and you would pay the price, Alcide," she said.

"Let me worry about that," said Alcide.

"You aren't the only one in danger," she said, cryptically. And then she turned back to her car.

As Alcide followed her car, he vowed to get out of debt from that vampire as soon as possible and if someone in his family got indebted to Mr. Northman, then that was their problem.

When Eric and Pam arose at sunset, they found Alcide, Ginger and Dylan waiting for them in the main bar. Ginger was wiping glasses behind the counter and Alcide and Dylan were sitting on the bar stools. Eric paused. The werewolf wasn't using any force to hold the girl. She was there of her own choice. Now, that was very surprising, he thought. Dylan stood when she saw him and nervously fidgeted. Alcide rose as well and stood next to her.

"Pam, take Dylan into the office," said Eric.

"What?" said Pam. "Shouldn't we chain her down in the basement?"

"The last time we did that, she managed to escape," said Eric. "Just do as I say."

Eric turned to look at Pam and said sternly, "And don't hurt her."

"I'm the one that little minx almost killed. Do you have any idea how long it took me to get the blood out of my hair?" said Pam.

Eric just stared at Pam who uttered, "Fine."

Pam and Dylan left for the office and Eric looked at Alcide.

"Explain what happened," said Eric.

"I found her on the highway. She was already on her way back," said Alcide.

"Did she tell you why she decided to come back?" asked Eric.

"No," said Alcide.

Eric took a moment to consider what might make her return.

"You have the girl," said Alcide. "Can I leave now?"

"I want you to find out where she has been," said Eric.

"For what possible purpose?" said Alcide. "You have her back."

Eric turned his cold eyes to the werewolf. The werewolf was so useful, he thought. Except he had to deal with his insubordination. He wondered if he could glamour the werewolf into being obedient. But, his kind were more resistant to that ability. Sometimes, even if it seemed successful, it didn't take.

"This is how it works, werewolf. I give you an order and you carry it out," said Eric. "Is that plain enough so that even you can understand?"

"I'm not one of your slaves," said Alcide.

"No, you are someone who owes me," said Eric. "There are other ways to collect on your debt. Do you want me to resort to those measures?"

"No," muttered Alcide.

"You have your instructions, werewolf," said Eric. "Now leave."

Eric walked into his office and Dylan stood up. He sat down behind his desk and stared at Dylan who avoided his eyes. He fiddled with a letter opener on his desk as he thought about how to handle her.

"Alcide tells me that you came back on your own," said Eric.

"Yes," said Dylan.

"Why?" asked Eric.

"You were right," said Dylan. "There is nowhere out there for me anymore."

Eric continued to fiddle with the letter opener as he studied her.

"I should put you back in chains and force you to drink either my blood or Pam's," he said.

"I'll pass," said Pam. "I've had more than enough of her charms."

"But, since you came back willingly, we can move on," said Eric.

Dylan raised her head at that and looked at him.

"Do you want me to turn you and make you fully a vampire? This is an honor because I am offering to be your maker," said Eric.

"No," said Dylan. "No, thank you. I don't want to be a vampire."

"Are you willing to be under my sovereignty and answer to me?" asked Eric.

"If I said no, would you let me have my freedom?" asked Dylan.

"No," said Eric. "But, it's better if you agree to these terms."

"Then, what choice do I have?" said Dylan.

"Do you want to continue training as my assassin?" asked Eric.

"No, I am not a killer," said Dylan.

"Really? You could have fooled me," said Pam.

"Pam, that is not being helpful," said Eric.

Pam rolled her eyes and cocked one hip, but remained silent.

"For now, you will work in the bar under my supervision. And help Ginger during the daytime," said Eric. "Someone needs to help her. She grows more incompetent every day."

"What will I do in the bar?" asked Dylan.

"You can help the bartender. Since you refuse to be my assassin, you must keep what you are a secret, do you understand?" said Eric.

Dylan nodded.

Eric stared at her. Her incredible talents were being wasted.

"If you prove yourself trustworthy, I will find you a position worthy of your intelligence and abilities that doesn't involve killing," said Eric.

Dylan looked down and muttered, "Thank you."

"For now, I have somewhere that you can stay until we find you a place of your own. You will start tonight in the bar. Go out in the main bar and wait for Pam. She will find you something to wear," said Eric.

Dylan silently left the office and Eric stared after her.

"So that's it?" demanded Pam.

"We won't get anywhere by tormenting the girl," said Eric. "She did come back on her own."

"She's probably planning on staking us in our coffins," said Pam.

Eric smiled and said, "That's why she is not staying here full-time."

"I wonder why she did come back," said Pam.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out," said Eric.

Later on in the evening, Eric sat in his chair and watched the girl behind the bar counter. She was way too smart for that job, he thought. But, his customers didn't seem to mind. She was more than pretty enough to cause humans to be attracted to her. She was also highly attractive to vampires. Of course, they would not know why they found her so attractive just by being around her. Humans who take in vampire blood in enough quantities and several times become more attractive to vampires. Dylan had no doubt taken in vast quantities to vampire blood. He could smell her when he was close to her and it was an intoxicating scent. That was probably a contributing factor that caused him to bite her in the dungeon, he thought. And he knew how delicious her blood actually was. She would bear watching to make sure that no other vampire got too friendly with her. He smiled as he thought what a surprise a curious vampire would get. He had told the staff that Dylan was his. And he told her to say that if she was bothered by his clientele.

She was his, of course. But, he had learned his lesson in the dungeon. Even as meek as she now appeared, she would not tolerate being treated as a pet. She had enough vampire in her to resist being treated as a human. He was sure that if Cole had not met his own end, Dylan would have found a way to kill him. She was one problem that he did not need in his bed. Perhaps, later on as she realized that he was not her enemy, they might become lovers. But, he doubted it and he wasn't stupid enough to force her.

The bartender had shown her how to make several drinks. He showed her where the small guide was kept behind the counter in case she needed to look up the instructions for any drink. After she had easily memorized several complicated drinks, the bartender had begun to treat her better. He still was far from friendly, thought Dylan. Perhaps, he was angry because he thought that Mr. Northman had given her this position as a reward for being his pet. For he had given a stern warning to the bartender not to treat her badly.

As Dylan worked, she wondered why Mr. Northman was being so lenient with her. He had not punished her by returning her to the dungeon. She was grateful that he had not forced her to form a blood bond with him. He also was not forcing her to continue training as his assassin. He said that she would live on her own and he seemed to only want to keep his eye on her. She wondered, why was he being so nice? She still didn't trust him, of course.

At closing time, he told her that they would be leaving together since he was taking her to where she would be staying temporarily. He informed her that she would be driving her car there. He gave her directions to a gated community. At the gate, he informed the security guard that she would be staying for a few days. The guard issued her a pass. They drove to a very nice and well-maintained home. Eric pulled out the garage door opener from a pocket and Dylan drove the car inside.

As they got out, Dylan asked, "Who lives here?"

"Me," said Eric.

When she paused and seemed to balk, Eric said, "Your virtue is safe, I won't be staying here. You'll have the place to yourself."

He had taken her inside and given her a brief tour. The house was very masculine with bold colors and a sparse eye to decorating, she thought. He seemed to have a love for red and other vibrant colors which was in such contrast to the usual black that he mostly wore.

As he was preparing to leave, Dylan finally asked him, "Why are you being so nice to me, Mr. Northman?"

"I want you to cooperate with me. I know that you don't believe it, but there are things that I can show you and even help you with. We are your closest kin, Dylan. No one else is going to understand you like me," said Eric.

Eric walked outside to the patio and turned back to look at her.

"Be at the bar at 3pm to help Ginger, if you can tolerate her presence without being driven crazy. Of course, if you lose your patience and kill her, I'll make sure that you get a bonus in your paycheck," said Eric.

With that, he flew off, leaving Dylan all alone with her memories.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Stefan is another one of my original creations. He turns up in several of my stories since I like his character. He meets Dylan in this chapter. **

Chapter Seven

Across town in his mansion, Stefan closed the door to the bathroom and gazed at the tub. Normally, his tub would not hold that much interest for him, but at the present moment it was filled with steaming hot water, bubbles and a pretty girl. She had big, brown doe eyes and sleek brown hair cut into a short bob. He had been out clubbing and came across this little gem. He had taken her away form the lout that she had been with. And he had every intention of finding out if her blood was as sweet has he thought it might be.

He strode to the tub which was a huge affair that sat in the middle of the bathroom. It could hold three very comfortably and he knew this from experience. He was wearing a silk robe and he sat on the edge of the tub and poured a glass of champagne and handed it to the girl.

"So, aren't you just a little afraid to be with a vampire that you don't even know?" he asked her.

She giggled and said, "Oh, you're so cute. You wouldn't hurt me."

As she sipped the champagne, Stefan idly moved his fingers through the bubbles. Not too bright, he thought. Hopefully, the taste of her blood would make up for her lack of intelligence. But, he thought, maybe he shouldn't judge the girl so harshly. There were few who knew just how dangerous he really was. And the girl was only in danger of losing some of her delicious blood tonight.

He picked up a bath sponge and moved to the marble floor beside her.

He leaned in to kiss her lips and said, "Let me wash you."

Stefan pushed up his sleeve and, holding the bath sponge, dipped his hand into the water. He started at her ankles and slowly massaged his way up her legs while softly kissing her. As he reached the top of her thighs, she sighed and arched her head back. Stefan moved to her neck, gently kissing and trailing his tongue over her skin. When he began a more intimate cleansing, she gripped the sides of the tub and moaned softly. He took his time, teasing and pleasing her, until she was almost there. At that moment, he took her wrist in his other hand and brought out his fangs. He bit into her soft flesh and continued his efforts. The girl came with a loud moan and he gently caressed her a moment as he savored the taste of her blood.

It was at that moment that a knock on the bathroom door was heard. A look of extreme aggravation passed over Stefan's face. If the girl had been looking, it would have probably frightened her. But, her eyes were still blissfully closed.

Reluctantly, he withdrew his fangs from the girl's wrist and said loudly enough to be heard by his assistant outside the door, "I don't like to be disturbed when I am entertaining a guest."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but there is a call on your special line," said his assistant.

Stefan ran his tongue over the girl's wrist and said, "I'll be right there."

He looked to the girl who was still relaxing in the afterglow. He kissed her sweetly on the lips.

"Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back," said Stefan. "And I'll make up this interruption to you."

"Do you promise?" she sighed.

Stefan smiled and said, "Now, would I break a promise like that?"

He walked into the next room and picked up the phone. He gave a stern look to his assistant who quickly departed.

"This is Stefan," he said.

"Eric has the girl back," said his spy.

It was too bad that he didn't find the girl first, he thought. Eric was no doubt punishing the girl since he had heard what she did to Pam.

"Is he punishing her or planning on killing her?" asked Stefan.

"Surprisingly not, she is working in his bar as a bartender," said his spy.

Now, it was a surprise that Eric let the girl off so lightly, thought Stefan. He wasn't a vampire to cross and get away with it. Any girl that could get on his good side after what happened with Pam deserved a look. He decided to pay a visit to Fangtasia tomorrow night.

"I'll have your usual fee sent to your account," said Stefan as he hung up.

He walked back to the bathroom and found the girl exactly where he had left her. She opened her eyes and gave him a smile.

Stefan graced her with one of his most naughty smiles and said, "Now, where were we? 

The next night, Stefan arrived at Fangtasia accompanied by just his bodyguard. Pam was manning the entrance as Stefan walked up.

"Stefan, it's a surprise to see you all alone," said Pam.

Stefan was a source of irritation to Pam. Thankfully, he rarely came to the bar since he usually frequented the regular clubs. It wasn't that he did anything to antagonize her. She simply found his ability to charm just about any girl including the ones who did not usually associate with vampires aggravating. It must be his looks, she thought. Most vampires looked like vampires, but Stefan still had his boyish appeal. He could effectively blend in and seem totally non-threatening.

"Maybe, I'm here for you, Pam," said Stefan.

Even though vampires didn't usually like to be touched, Stefan took Pam's hand and sweetly kissed the top of it. Surprisingly, Pam did not remove it. Pam gazed into his pretty face that had just the right balance of innocence and naughtiness and wished that he was not a vampire because, boy or not, she would have made him a pet.

"Okay, I know that you're playing me, but you're good," said Pam with a smile.

"You have no idea how good, Pam," said Stefan with a smirk.

He gave her a wink and went inside, closely followed by his bodyguard.

Stefan settled at a couch and began texting. He could at least accomplish some work while he was here, he thought. He had his bodyguard prevent any fangbangers from approaching him. Stefan preferred to do the hunting, not the other way around. He surreptitiously glanced at the bar, looking for the girl. And when she finally made her appearance, he studied her. She definitely didn't belong here, he thought. He could understand why even Eric might be lenient with her. He wondered just how attached Eric was to her. He decided to find out. The most Eric could do was throw him out. His bodyguard was at least capable of diverting Eric's attention long enough for him to escape. Stefan would never be stupid enough to outright challenge the Sheriff. There were much more subtle and effective ways of getting rid of problems, permanently. He highly doubted Eric would do anything except warn him off the girl.

Stefan finished his texting and, with a nod to his bodyguard, approached the bar. The girl was stocking inventory and had her back turned to him as he settled into a stool. When she was done, she turned around and saw him.

"What can I get you?" she asked.

"B negative," said Stefan.

"Oh, you're a vampire," she said.

Stefan only gave her a smile. She turned and got his Tru Blood and warmed it up. When she sat it in front of him, he gave her a generous tip.

Dylan muttered a thanks and moved away.

She focused her attention on wiping the counter. She found herself in a melancholy mood. But she seemed to be that way most of the time. She tried not to think about the Sanders and Kyle but her mind always seemed to return to them whenever she let her thoughts wander. As she went over the same spot again and again, Stefan startled by saying something to her.

"I could make you forget about him," he said. "At least for a little while."

"I don't know what you are talking about," she said.

Dylan now studied him. He was probably one of the cutest boys that she had ever seen. He didn't look much like a vampire. He didn't have that hard, arrogant look that they all seem to develop. He had been made vampire young in his life. He had slightly shaggy blonde hair and vibrant cornflower blue eyes. He was wearing a silk shirt in a blue color that complimented his eyes which was a change from the standard black that everyone here seemed to wear. She noticed that he had a bodyguard in attendance and wondered why he needed one.

"I'm sure that you do since I recognize that look," said Stefan.

"And what look is that?" said Dylan.

"The look you get when you have lost someone," said Stefan.

"And what would a vampire know about losing someone, don't you all live forever?" said Dylan.

"We do, but those we sometimes love do not," said Stefan.

Stefan's interest in Dylan had not gone unnoticed. Eric and Pam watched them from Eric's chair. As Eric watched, he wondered if he was jealous.

"Your little minx is about to fall victim to Stefan's charm," said Pam.

"She is not so easy to charm or glamour," said Eric.

"In case you haven't noticed, that boy doesn't need to glamour girls," said Pam.

Eric watched and said, "He's harmless."

"I'm surprised by your reaction," said Pam.

"She would be more tightly aligned with vampires if she was involved with one. It's obvious that she has little love for you or me," said Eric. "Stefan is a weak and frivolous vampire that I can control."

"I thought vampires did not love humans," said Dylan.

"Every vampire started out as a human whether they want to admit it or not," said Stefan. " And every lover they turn began that relationship as a human."

"Why would you have lost anyone since you can turn them?" asked Dylan.

"Sometimes, they don't want to be turned. It would be a selfish and cruel thing to turn them against their wishes just because you are afraid of being alone," said Stefan.

Dylan did not know what to say to that. She had never had a conversation where a vampire had ever admitted that he had feelings.

"Why are you telling me these things?" asked Dylan.

"Because I pretend about a lot of things, but I wanted to let you see a glimpse of the real me," said Stefan.

"And why would you do that?" asked Dylan.

"I want to get to know you, the real you, and I wanted to show you how serious I was," said Stefan.

"Aren't you afraid of what Eric might do to you?" asked Dylan. "He says that I am his."

"But, you're not," said Stefan. "And I'm not afraid of Eric because he doesn't think that I am worth his concern. He believes that I am just a nobody. He hasn't stepped in and ordered me away from you, has he?"

Stefan took out a card and passed it to Dylan.

"I don't expect anything from you," said Stefan.

He gave her a small, genuine smile and then got up and headed for the door, his bodyguard on his heels.

As Stefan passed Pam and Eric, a shadow of a smile passed over his face, just enough to irritate Eric without outright insulting him.

"That boy has balls," said Pam.

Eric noticed that Dylan had kept the card. Stefan had made an impression on his prize little half-vampire, he thought.

"He is braver than I thought," said Eric. "But, just as stupid."

"Hopefully, that hellion of yours won't do him in," said Pam.

"Why, Pam, I might start to get the impression that you have a crush on him," said Eric.

"I used to like boys a long time ago, remember?" said Pam.

Eric smiled a little half-smile and said, "I remember."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Six weeks in the future.

Kyle sat on the bench by the pond and stared into nothing. He kept feeling that there was always something that he was forgetting to do. He always felt that there was a word at the tip of his tongue that he couldn't remember. When he came to the pond now, he felt that something had happened here, he just didn't know what. He could not understand that feeling. He used to come to this spot from time to time. But, now each time he came here, he felt a longing. He didn't know why he should feel that way and he didn't know what he was longing for. He only knew that he felt an unhappiness that he could not explain. For, everything in his life seemed the same as before. But, these feelings had started after that night of the full moon run, now two cycles ago.

He had woken up late in the afternoon the day after the full moon. He had rolled over into a pillow and smelled the scent of a girl, a human girl, except she smelled weird. He knew it was crazy, but she sort of smelled like a vampire. And he could detect the scent of sex. He had no memory of that night, except for running with the pack. And that did not explain how he wound up having sex with some girl that he didn't even know. His head had hurt like he had a bad hangover and he wondered if he had gotten drunk. He rarely did that. But, he must have, though, because he never brought girls home. It was an unspoken rule. He and his mother had a truce. She stayed out of his personal life and he kept anything that might bother her out of sight.

When he had left his room that morning, his sensitive nose had been assailed by the smell of cleaners and deodorizers. So much so, that he had problems breathing. The minute he had come downstairs to complain, he found his mother cleaning like a madwoman.

"Mom, what is going on?" said Kyle. "I can't even breath in here."

"Spring cleaning, Dear," she had said.

"Don't you do spring cleaning in the spring? It's summer," said Kyle.

"Better later than never," said Doreen.

Kyle had gotten a cup of coffee and waited for his mother to start in on him about his lapse in judgement in the matter of what had happened. For, his mother was a woman who was not afraid to speak her mind. But, his mother only continued cleaning.

He had sighed and said, "I need some fresh air."

He had gotten no revelations from Will either. He had just said that he left the pack after the run and that whoever had shared his bed had the decency to leave undetected. That morning had been six weeks ago, thought Kyle. And in those weeks, these melancholy feelings had only grown worse. He found that he did not want to go to pack meetings and was even considering giving up his position as first wolf. The only reason that he had not was because he didn't know how to broach the subject to Will. He did not want to go out with friends or girls. He spent most of his time at home, usually alone. Sometimes he shared the same space with his mother who also seemed to be gripped by the same sadness. He wondered if depression could be catching. It had gotten so bad that he had made an appointment with the doctor and was considering medication.

Doreen stood at the window and stared out at the hill that her son had disappeared behind. He had gone to the pond again. He was being pulled to that place because he had gone there with Dylan. She felt a tear roll down her cheek. Her son was so unhappy, but he didn't know why. Were they really doing him any good by continuing this deception? It had been six weeks now, and he was not getting any better. That morning after the run, Will had gone into town and ,by emergency meeting of the pack and town leaders, they had decided to go along with Dylan's plan. And just like that, every trace of the girl had been erased. Of course, Doreen knew that there had been dissenters. They had been vocal and angry and called everyone else cowards. But, they had gone along with Will's decision since, after all, Kyle was his brother.

She heard Will come into the room.

"Where is Kyle?" asked Will.

"By the pond again," said Doreen.

Will didn't say anything and Doreen turned to her oldest son and pack leader.

"He is not getting any better," she said.

"Give him some more time," said Will.

"How much more time? When are you going to realize that even if she erased that memory, she couldn't erase his feelings," said Doreen.

"Mom, it was her choice," said Will.

"She didn't have the right to choose for him," said Doreen.

"Would you rather that she ran away and he followed her and got killed. Or that the vampires came here and killed us all?" asked Will.

"I didn't want to lose my son," said Doreen. "But, we are losing him anyway. Every day he grows more distant and isolated."

Will was silent since he was pained by what was happening to Kyle.

"She left a hole inside him when she took away her memory," said Doreen. "He is not going to get over it."

"If he remembers or if he grows too sick with loss, then we will go after her," said Will.

"I'm not waiting very much longer, Will," said Doreen. "I will leave myself if I have to."

Dylan was working behind the counter and doing the inventory before opening. Eric came out of his office and saw her face turn ashen. She grabbed her stomach and ran for the bathroom. That was the second time in as many days that he had seen her throw up. He sent Pam after her. Pam came into the bathroom to find Dylan retching in a stall. Pam rolled her eyes and wondered how she got selected to be the girl's nursemaid.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Another loud retching was heard in the stall.

"Does it sound like I am alright?" came an angry retort from the stall.

Again a retching was heard and Dylan hissed, "Just get out and leave me alone."

Pam left and found Eric waiting nearby.

"That is disgusting. You can hold her hand the next time," said Pam.

Pam walked off and Eric wondered if a new symptom had manifested for Dylan. Vampires would be deathly ill after eating regular food, maybe Dylan was growing intolerant of food. He wondered if he should make her bite a human and feed.

He went into the office and called Dr. Ludwig.

"I need you to see someone, right now," said Eric.

"What is wrong with him?" asked Dr. Ludwig.

"He is a she and if I knew what was wrong with her, I wouldn't need you to see her," said Eric.

"Is this a vampire or human?" asked Dr. Ludwig.

Eric hesitated for a moment and said, "She is both and that is why it is important that she needs to be seen right away."

Dr. Ludwig was silent for what seemed several minutes.

"I need her to come to the clinic, since I may need to run some tests," she said.

"I will send her straight over," said Eric.

After a through examination, Dylan sat in Dr. Ludwig's office. Dr. Ludwig was a tiny, wizened woman who looked like a dwarf or gnome.

"Well, I know why you aren't feeling well," she said.

"What else besides being made a freak can be wrong with me?" said Dylan.

"You diagnosis shows that you are still very much human, Dylan," said Dr. Ludwig.

Dylan raised her eyebrows and waited.

"You're pregnant, about 6 weeks or so," said Dr. Ludwig.

Dylan felt like the floor had dropped out from under her.

"What? That can't be true," she replied.

"I ran the test three times," said Dr. Ludwig.

Dr. Ludwig gazed at her with compassion now. When she found out that Eric Northman was sending over this creature, she had been so excited that she could hardly concentrate. Never had she ever been lucky enough to examine one first-hand. But, now that the actual patient was here, she found that the person that she was eclipsed what she was. Dylan was just a being that needed her help.

"I take it that this is a surprise?" asked Dr. Ludwig.

"I...yes...it was only one night," said Dylan.

"It only takes once," said Dr. Ludwig with a smile.

Dr. Ludwig turned serious and said, "I need to know if you want to end the pregnancy."

Dylan unconsciously covered her stomach with her hand.

"No, that is not a consideration," said Dylan.

"Because of your special conditions, this pregnancy needs to be closely monitored. Now, in order for me to help you, you need to disclose all the details to me. We are in uncharted territory here with this pregnancy," said Dr. Ludwig.

Dr Ludwig opened Dylan's chart and looked at her.

"Now, I know the father isn't a vampire. Is the father human?" she asked.

"No," whispered Dylan.

Dr. Ludwig raised her eyebrows and said, "What is he?"

"Werewolf," said Dylan who looked down.

She glanced up to see Dr. Ludwig with a tiny smile on her face.

"My goodness, child, this must be a first in more than one way," she said.

"Will the baby be a werewolf?" asked Dylan.

"Well, that is a matter of genetics. I have to tell you that werewolf genes are dominant over human ones. If the father has a homozygous gene expression, the child will be a werewolf for certain. If the father has a heterozygous expression, there is a 50% chance that the child will be werewolf," said Dr. Ludwig.

"How do you know which genes he has?" asked Dylan, nervously.

"A blood test or family history," said Dr. Ludwig. "Do you know if both of his parents are werewolves?"

"His mother is, but I don't know if his father was," said Dylan.

"Does he have siblings and are they also werewolf?" asked Dr. Ludwig.

"A brother who is also a werewolf," said Dylan.

Dr. Ludwig considered a moment and said, "More than likely, he is homozygous, but we can't be sure until the baby come out."

"Will it be apparent what the child is when it is born?" asked Dylan, again nervously.

"If you are asking me if that vampire will be able to tell if it's a werewolf, then the answer is no," said Dr. Ludwig. "The child won't express the trait until it enters puberty. We can, of course, do a blood test shortly after birth and find out."

Dr. Ludwig stared at Dylan and said, "But, those results are confidential. I am your doctor, Dylan, not his in this matter. I can't disclose anything about you or this baby to him."

Dylan nodded with obvious relief.

"Now, you'll need to be taking these prenatal vitamins that I'm going to give you. Eat right and get plenty of rest. No alcohol or smoking. And no blood either, especially vampire, since I'm not sure what effect it would have on the baby. You haven't ingested any in the last six weeks have you?" asked Dr. Ludwig.

"No, I don't drink blood," said Dylan.

"Dylan, don't worry," she said. "Now, I'll need to see you every week until we get a little more comfortable with this pregnancy."

Dr. Ludwig walked the girl out herself and watched her get into her car. Normally, she didn't have such a good bedside manner, but she felt the child needed a little hand-holding. Even though the patient didn't seem particularly excited about the pregnancy, Dr. Ludwig was. She thought, who would have ever thought that something like this would happen?

She had no sooner walked back to her office when the phone rang. It was the vampire.

"Well, what is wrong with her? Is she turning completely?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Northman, but due to patient confidentiality I can't disclose any details about Ms. Thomas," she said.

"What? I want to know right now what is going on," he said.

"I don't discuss my patients with third parties," said Dr. Ludwig who hung up the phone.

Dylan drove around for a while still in shock over the news and scared. She wondered what she should do. And she didn't want to go back to Fangtasia tonight. What would Eric do? Well, she thought, he would throw a fit if he knew the father was a werewolf. But, there was no way for him to know that. She decided to go home.

"Stefan, I need to talk to someone," said Dylan.

"What's up? You sound upset," he asked.

"I need a friend," said Dylan.

"You know that I'm here for you, Dylan," said Stefan.

"I...I need advice," said Dylan.

"Okay, I'll be waiting," said Stefan.

Dylan hung up and wondered where Kyle was and what he was doing at this very moment.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This is the ending chapter and I did my best to bring this to a satisfactory close. I appreciate all the wonderful reviews of those who liked this story, especially since it was not a typical story with so many OCs and a story that didn't feature Eric as the main player.**

Chapter Nine

Stefan stared at Dylan from the doorway to her bedroom. She had finally fallen asleep and now her worries were erased from her face. He would miss her, he thought. She had moved into the mansion several weeks ago. She resided in her own suit of rooms in another wing of the mansion. Eric assumed that they were lovers. And although he had longed for her in that way, her heart still belonged to another. They had instead become platonic friends and he found himself happy with just her companionship. There was something about her that reminded him of someone he knew a long time ago. Maybe in part because of that memory and his own loneliness, he had wanted to watch over her. For, she had certainly needed a friend. But, this news changed everything. The father must be found and told the news. And he better step up to the plate and accept his responsibility, thought Stefan. If she would just tell him who it was, he would have an easier time finding this man. But, Dylan still protected him and said that he would have forgotten her by now. What total nonsense, thought Stefan, he couldn't believe that this affair had been one-sided on her part. Stefan would find this man and if he was not worthy of Dylan and her child, then Stefan would take care of them.

His thoughts were interrupted by the vibrations of Dylan's phone on the coffee table. He picked it up and saw that it was Eric calling. He was anything if not persistent, thought Stefan. Stefan closed the door to Dylan's room and answered the phone.

"Dylan, why weren't you picking up?" he demanded.

"This is not Dylan," said Stefan.

"Stefan, put Dylan on the line," said Eric.

"No," said Stefan.

"Excuse me?" said Eric.

"You heard me," said Stefan.

There was silence for a several long seconds during which Stefan allowed himself a small smile. He had played his part so well that Eric could not understand this behavior.

"Dylan is resting and she couldn't come into work anyway," said Stefan.

"What is wrong with her?" asked Eric.

"That is something for Dylan to tell you," said Stefan.

"Then, I guess that I will see her tomorrow," said Eric.

Stefan hung up the phone and turned it off. He left Dylan's rooms and walked back to his quarters. Once there, he called his assistant.

"I need you to bring the car around with two bodyguards," said Stefan. "And starting tonight, if anyone attempts entry into the compound without permission, kill them."

"Understood, Sir," said his assistant. "Should we increase the guards on the perimeters?"

"Increase the threat level, but let the head of security handle the details."

His assistant picked up phone and relayed Stefan's instructions.

"The car will be waiting out front along with the guards, Sir," said his assistant.

Stefan with his assistant at his heels strode to the door.

Alcide unlocked his front door and walked into his darkened home. He could see well enough without the lights, so he walked towards the kitchen. It was then that a unexpected odor caught his nose. Sniffing, he whirled around as the lights flicked on. Alcide saw two rather impressive vampire guards who were flanking a young blonde man who was sitting on his couch. As he looked closer at the blonde man, he realized that he was also a vampire. They stared at each other for several seconds.

"Just who the hell are you?" demanded Alcide.

The boyish man smiled and said, "My name is Stefan. I'm sorry to break in like this, but we didn't want to wait outside."

He then added, "You should consider getting a security system."

"And why are you here?" asked Alcide.

"We have a mutual friend," said Stefan. "Dylan Thomas."

So, this was the vampire that she was living with, thought Alcide. Alcide studied this vampire and he thought that he was dangerous despite those young boyish looks.

"I know that you told Eric Northman that you lost the trail and couldn't find where she had been when she ran away. Was that true?" asked Stefan.

Alcide was reluctant to answer and Stefan said, "I'm trying to help her, Alcide."

"I don't know exactly where she went, but I have good idea," said Alcide.

"Dylan was involved with someone. She returned in order to protect this person," said Stefan. "Things have changed and he must be found."

"What things?" asked Alcide.

"She carries his child," said Stefan.

"What?" said Alcide.

"He wouldn't know this. Perhaps, she means as much to him as he does to her," said Stefan. "But, she won't tell me the details of what is going on. If he refuses to accept responsibility, then I will take care of Dylan and the child. But he, at least, deserves to be told."

"What about Eric Northman?" asked Alcide.

"I can take care of Eric," said Stefan.

Alcide thought that he was just spouting bravado, but as he looked into the intense eyes of the vampire, he felt that this vampire was not one that you wanted to be on the bad side of.

As Alcide watched, Stefan got up and left without further words. He always thought that vampires were strange that way. They never said any words of parting or goodbye.

Pam manned the door staring at the line of humans waiting to gain admittance with an air of disdain. They were always the same, always boring. A few, who were brave enough to try to flirt with her, quickly reconsidered when she turned her cold eyes to them and gaged if they were worth her effort. They usually were not. She knew that she was fierce because she just wasn't any vampire. She was the progeny of Eric Northman and these insignificant humans had better remember that.

She left the bouncer at the door and went inside. She knew that Dylan would not be in tonight which was fine with her. She was tired of seeing that girl's mopey face in the bar. Even being with Stefan had not brightened her disposition. As she walked through the bar to Eric, she noticed a pretty redhead sitting with a brunette at the bar counter. They looked deliciously fresh. The girls were sharing a joke and, as Pam passed, she locked eyes with them. She exerted just enough influence to hold their attention. With a smirk at them, she proceeded on her way to Eric again.

He still seemed to be in a bad mood, she thought. Pam was tired of dealing with everyone else's problems. Was it her job to hold everyone's hand in this place? In her mind, there was an easy solution to the problem of Dylan and she couldn't see why it had not been done already. She knew that they were immortal, but did they really want to waste any more of their time with her? Once Pam arrived, she decided to reason with him.

"I fail to see why you insist on keeping that girl?" she said. "She is no use to you and she won't even sleep with you."

Eric pointedly ignored her which Pam hated more than anything.

"She's smart enough to stay hidden, let Stefan deal with her," said Pam.

Eric sighed and said, "That looks more appealing all the time."

He had to admit that Pam was right. The girl still resented him. She fulfilled no useful purpose since she refused to train and take over Cole's position. And Pam was right about her not wanting anything else to do with him. He certainly did not want to turn her and have to deal with her disdain and depression for all eternity. Dealing with Pam was hard enough at times and her loyalty was without question.

"That is the first sensible thing that you have said about her," said Pam.

Pam leaned in close to his ear and said, "I found a little diversion for us. There are two of them. One for you and one for me."

Eric's eyes traveled to the bar and passed over the redhead and the brunette.

"Don't I get both?" he said, teasingly.

"There is a limit to unselfish duty to one's Maker," said Pam. "But, I'll give you first pick."

Eric knew that Pam had her heart set on the pretty redhead, but she was pretending that it didn't matter. He and Pam were so much alike, he thought. Even with her attitude and sometimes laziness, he had never regretted making her his child. He knew that she was trying to cheer him up.

"Then, summon them," said Eric. "And make sure that the brunette sits beside me."

Pam smirked and said, "I always was a sucker for redhead."

Dylan arrived at Fangtasia the next evening. Stefan had not wanted her to go and he also did not want her to tell Eric about the pregnancy. But, she couldn't hide it much longer and the nausea showed no sign of improvement. She walked into the bar and Pam saw her. Pam put her hands on her hips and waited for her with an aggravated glance.

"Nice of you to show up," she said. "Do you know what a pissy mood he was in because of you?"

Of course, that brunette had done wonders for his mood later on that evening, thought Pam. Not to mention what that redhead had done for hers.

"I...I wasn't feeling well," said Dylan.

"Why don't you let Stefan turn you and then you don't have to worry about that sort of thing," said Pam.

"That is out of the question," said Dylan.

"Eric's waiting for you in the office," said Pam who stalked off.

Dylan knocked on the office door and entered when Eric said to come in. She closed the door and came towards Eric who was seated at his desk. Eric gazed at her with annoyance and didn't offer her a seat.

"Is there a reason that you couldn't answer your phone last night?" asked Eric.

"I wasn't feeling well and turned it off because I didn't want to be disturbed," said Dylan.

"Is that what I am to you, a disturbance?" asked Eric.

Well, yes, you are, thought Dylan, to herself. Only you are much worse because you seem to think that you somehow own me.

"Do you want an apology?" asked Dylan.

"No, I want to know what's wrong with you," said Eric.

"There is nothing wrong with me, I'm not sick," said Dylan.

"You look sick to me," said Eric. "What's going on then?"

"I'm pregnant," said Dylan.

Eric opened his mouth and then closed it. He sat there at his desk motionless for several long seconds.

"What?" he said.

"Preggers, knocked up, with child," said Dylan. "Is that clearer?"

"How did that happen?" asked Eric.

"Are you for real?" asked Dylan. "Do you need a remedial biology course?"

Eric was sure that it wasn't Stefan's since he had never heard of a vampire impregnating anyone. But, Dylan was different.

"Whose is it?" asked Eric.

"I don't know," said Dylan.

"Dylan, I know that you are not the kind of girl who sleeps around," said Eric.

"Well, maybe you don't know me as well as you think," said Dylan.

Eric was sure that she was keeping the father's identity a secret for a reason. Although, at this moment he was having problems comprehending this entire situation.

"Does Stefan know?" asked Eric, since he did not want Stefan to hurt her out of jealousy.

"He knows and it's okay," said Dylan.

Dylan decided that it was now or never to see if this news would finally be enough to let her loose from his grasp. She really couldn't see Eric stepping up and playing Uncle Eric. She almost giggled to contemplate Fangtasia daycare and bottles and diapers behind the bar.

"Will you release me, now?" asked Dylan.

Eric stared at her and contemplated her request.

Why did he want to keep her, he wondered. She certainly wasn't worth the aggravation. He certainly was not thrilled with the prospect of a baby in his midst. He had wanted to keep her from being discovered by humans. And he had thought based on her behavior in the dungeon that she had little self-control. But, since he had gotten her back, she had not shown any erratic or aggressive behavior. She seemed intelligent enough to keep what she was a secret from humans. Perhaps, the most sensible solution was the one suggested by Pam.

"I had thought that you were unable to cope with what was done to you and that you would reveal yourself to humans," said Eric. "You are a risk to us if humans know that we are capable of creating something like yourself. But, you have shown that you have control of yourself and these powers and you are smart enough to remain hidden. Correct?"

"Of course," said Dylan, hopefully.

"Then, I am willing to let you leave my service," said Eric.

For the first time since he had gotten her back, he saw a smile form on Dylan's face. It thoroughly changed her appearance into that of the pretty girl that she must have been before his assassin met her.

"But, I will still need to know where you are, just as a measure of safety," said Eric.

Eric looked to her and his eyes were drawn to her stomach as he contemplated what was growing inside her womb.

"And since this is the first pregnancy of your type, I will need to know if the child is abnormal," said Eric.

"Abnormal? What do you mean?" asked Dylan, suspiciously.

"If your vampire traits are inherited by your child," said Eric.

"Dr. Ludwig didn't mention anything like that," said Dylan.

Eric frowned at Dr. Ludwig's name. Annoying little gnome, he thought. He was still irritated that she had hung up on him.

"If you would allow me to discuss this issue with her, it would ease my mind," said Eric.

"I will talk to her, then," said Dylan. "May I go?"

"Call me tomorrow," said Eric.

Eric watched Dylan as she left. A few moments later, Pam came into the office.

"Please, tell me that you are letting her go," said Pam.

"It seems that I don't have much choice, unless you and I want to be nannies," said Eric.

"Nannies? What are you talking about?" asked Pam.

"Nannies, babysitters, aunt and uncle," said Eric. "Dylan is going to have a baby."

"A baby? You've got to be kidding," said Pam. "That's all we need around here. A whiny baby and shitty diapers. The smell alone would drive off all our customers."

"Quite true, Pam," said Eric. "Except for their tastiness, miniature humans are completely useless."

There was a knock on the front door and when Doreen answered the door, she saw a handsome werewolf outside. He was not local, she thought.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"My name is Alcide Herveaux," said Alcide. "May I come inside and speak with you?"

"Can you tell me what this is about?" she asked.

"I believe that we have a mutual friend," said Alcide. "Dylan."

At the mention of Dylan's name the woman's eyes widened and she gripped the door for support.

"Is...has something happened to her?" she said.

"You know her, then?" asked Alcide.

"Yes," said Doreen. "Please, come inside, Mr. Herveaux."

Doreen led him to the kitchen and quickly fixed him a glass of ice tea. Setting it before him, she still stood and wrung her hands together.

"Please tell what has happened to her," said Doreen.

"She is physically fine," said Alcide. "Were you the ones who hid her? And why did she leave?"

At the news that Dylan was fine, Doreen gave into tears of relief. But, as Alcide watched her, he could see that her anguish was evident.

"You care for her, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes, very much," said Doreen. "I...I dared to hope for all sorts of things."

"What happened?" asked Alcide.

"My son discovered what she was and that she was in trouble. He brought her here and we hid her. My son fell in love with her and she felt the same way about him," said Doreen.

"Why did she leave and go back?" asked Alcide.

"She said that she loved him so much that she couldn't live with herself if harm came to him or to our town. So, she went back," said Doreen.

Alcide frowned. No werewolf would let the girl he loved go back to vampires and make such a sacrifice. Perhaps, the boy was a coward.

"Why didn't your son go after her?" he asked.

"Because she glamoured him and took away her memory. My son doesn't remember her," said Doreen, who started crying again.

Damn vampire powers, thought Alcide. He remembered how he had first seen her, bravely covering up the turmoil that was going on inside of her.

Alcide sighed and said, "Well, we have a problem. I was sent to find your son by a friend of Dylan's."

He took Doreen's hand and said, "Your son is going to be a father."

Doreen gasped and began to cry anew, but now the tears were much different.

"What's going on?" said a voice from the doorway.

Alcide turned to the voice and saw a young man who looked much like the woman in front of him.

"Who are you and why are you making my mother cry?" he demanded.

"Kyle, it's okay. He's a friend of a friend," said Doreen.

The was a long pause as Kyle eyed both this stranger and his mother.

"You are lying," said Kyle. "And I'm sick and tired of whatever is going on around here. Are you intentionally trying to drive me crazy?"

Doreen moved to her son. Her child that had not been able to know his father. But, this was not going to happen to her grandchild, she thought. This deceit had to end because there was another life to consider. Her grandchild, she thought, with a smile.

As she approached, Kyle searched his mother's face, wanting the answers to explain what was going on.

"Tell me, Mother," he said. "I need to know the truth."

With her eyes on her son and hope in her heart, Doreen said, "Do you remember Dylan?"

Dylan was eating a small snack as she listened to some music in her rooms. She found that light snacks were easier to keep down and was trying to eat several small meals a day instead of three large ones. She had gone to an appointment with Dr. Ludwig earlier that day. Everything was right on track, she had said. Dr. Ludwig had also talked to Eric and told him that, quite frankly, she didn't know if Dylan's condition could be passed down. She had said it probably depended on whether any permanent mutations had been caused to her genes. The news had done little to ease his concern or watchfulness of her. But, so far, he seemed willing to keep out of her affairs for the most part. Even though, Dylan had not been sure if she wanted to raise a werewolf child alone, she prayed that the vampire traits were not inheritable.

Whenever her thoughts were on the baby, they drifted by their own accord to it's father. If possible, she missed him even more now. She allowed herself a brief moment to remember how he had looked that night in the forest. His beautiful body revealed for her by the moonlight. With a pang, she hugged herself. He would not remember me now, she thought. And surely, he deserves better than some messed-up freak, doesn't he? But, hadn't he loved her when he knew exactly what she was?

Her anguished thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Come in," she said.

She saw Stefan come in with a little smile. He had been so kind to her and a true friend, she thought. If it would have been possible for her to love another as much as Kyle, then Stefan would have been him. But, he had never asked for anything that she had not wanted to give him. They both had been content with their friendship. She knew that he was different than any vampire she had ever met. She also knew that he carefully crafted a persona that he displayed to almost everyone else. Yet, with her, he had been himself. Even with her, though, he did not like to talk about himself. She was certain that he also had lost a great love in his life. As she remembered their first meeting, perhaps she did not want to be turned. She was certain that the Stefan she knew would have respected her wishes and let her go.

"Hello, Dylan," he said, smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, I've been able to keep things down," said Dylan.

"Do you feel well enough for a visitor?" he asked.

"Who? Eric?" she said, warily.

Stefan's smiled deepened and he said, "No, most certainly not."

As Dylan gazed at him curiously, Stefan moved to the side of the door and said, "Come in."

When Dylan saw who stepped through the door, she stopped breathing and started to feel like she was going to faint. She closed her eyes and felt her stomach turn over. Oh, no, she thought, don't let me puke now. She felt gentle hands on her and she opened her eyes to stare into the most beautiful green eyes that she had ever known. Dylan glanced to the door and saw that Stefan had left and closed it behind him. She turned her eyes back to Kyle and wondered how Stefan had found him.

"Kyle," she said. "I don't know what to say to you."

"You could apologize for using you powers on me and making me forget about you," he said.

"I'm sorry. I only wanted to protect you," said Dylan.

"Then, you must have loved me to do that," he said, his eyes looking into hers.

"Yes," she said.

When she closed her eyes, a few tears escaped and trailed down her cheeks. Kyle gently brushed them off and smiled.

"I remember brushing off a tear like that the first night that we met. You were so fierce and beautiful as you faced down everyone in the bar," he said. "Do you really think that I would never remember you?"

"But, how?" asked Dylan.

"For one, you are a novice at vampire powers, and two, werewolves aren't as susceptible as humans," said Kyle. "And you asked me to forget only. You didn't say that it never happened. When someone uttered your name, your power started to be undone and I slowly began to remember things."

He kissed her for a moment, softly tasting her lips.

He moved to her ear and said into it softly, "I don't have all my memories, yet. But, I remember that night in the forest."

He kneeled before her, taking her hands in his.

"If you would have stayed that morning, I would have told you what that night had meant," he said. "Like werewolves, we joined as one and became a mated pair. All this time that you have been gone, I have felt a sadness that I did not understand. It was your heartbreak that I felt, Dylan. The bond that exists between us would never let me totally forget you."

"Oh, Kyle, I have missed you so" said Dylan, pulling up on the couch with her and holding him close.

Kyle kissed her and said with a smirk, "I'm sure you did, loving like mine isn't that easy to forget."

Dylan smiled and said, "You don't know how true that statement is, Kyle. Did they tell you the other news?"

"What news?" asked Kyle.

Epilogue

6 months later

Eric was digging through the mail on his desk and found a letter in the stack from Dylan. He held it in his hands and was looking at it when Pam came into the office. She stared at him, curiously, and waited. Finally, he opened the letter and when he pulled out a card, a small picture dropped out and fell to the desk. He picked it up and gazed at the photograph. It was an infant who looked remarkably like any other infant he had ever seen. Maybe it was a little cuter, he thought. Inside the card was a brief note in Dylan's handwriting.

_Eric,_

_I thought you might like to see what the little cub looks like. We named him Stefan William Sanders and so far he is just like his daddy, in case you're wondering._

_Sincerely,_

_Dylan Sanders_

Eric passed the note and picture to Pam.

"Well, I'm surprised how normal it looks," said Pam. "If any of these things can be called normal."

Eric allowed himself a smile. No playing auntie for Pam, he thought. He had actually gotten all the details from Stefan already. He took back the picture and thought, not bad for a little half-vamp and a werewolf, not bad at all.


End file.
